Sortta Like A Ghostbuster, But Then Not Even Close
by Mycroft's Holme Girl
Summary: The Frighteners: Death has escaped from Hell and his haunting the small town of Fairwater. Dammers has returned to the town and is determined to ruin the lives of the Bannisters, Frank and his daughter Iris. Loosely based on the moive and my own ideas. R&R and better than the description
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"What a loser."

"Pft, her dad is such a weird-o."

"I heard he's a fraud."

"I heard he can see spirits!"

A group of girls whispered and giggled in the hallway of Broken Arrow High. Small town of Fairwater, all kids of gossip goes around. Rumors, mostly fake, all usually about one girl in particular.

Iris Bannister is the daughter to the town's apparent "nut case", Frank Bannister. He claims that he can see spirits. Is it true? Yes, it is. A traumatic experience altered his perception and caused him to communicate with the spirit world. After the sudden death of his wife Debra, he was all alone to raise their only daughter Iris. Since the death of Deborah, Frank wasn't the only Bannister who can see spirits. Iris also has the ability to communicate the world beyond. Sometimes she thinks its genetics.

She's only sixteen, and teenagers always have to be hurtful to others. School is like a chore for her. Getting notes tapped on her locker door. _Freak_. _Loser_. _Liar_. _Wannabe_.

Iris walked down the hallway of Broken Arrow, hearing giggles from every angle from the hall. She had reached her locker and tore off another note that spelled out "freak" in cursive handwriting. She opened her locker and threw the note on the bottom of the locker.

_Time to skip class_, she thought. The bell had rung and the hallways emptied quickly. Iris slammed her locker door in frustration and walked to the nearest bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she threw her backpack down and opened the window she's escaped many times before.

"Frank needs you."

Iris turned to the wall near the window to the outside world. A spirit was standing there. He was dripping ectoplasm goo from his face and seemed like he was dressed like a college student from the fifties.

Iris sighed, "Stuart, you know I don't like you following me to school."

"Frank has me keeping an eye on you. He told me so."

"Stuart, I know he's looking out for me, but still! I don't like you stalking me at school."

"Sorry, Iris," Stuart said before falling into the wall, half in and half out, "But you know I have to listen to him."

"I know that," she sighed.

"He told me to warn you about something."

"What?"

"Something has escaped and it's not a friendly ghost."

"Shit," Iris sighed.

She quickly threw her backpack out the window and unlocked the door. The risk of some girl walking in was always frequent so she had to hurry.

"Wait for me outside," she told the spirit.

As soon as she was about to jump out the door opened. _Shit!_ She thought.

"What in the hell are you doing?" the girl snapped.

"Leaving," Iris said.

"I'm going to tell the principal!"

"Go for it," she said.

"You go girl," Stuart said.

"Fine! You are going to get in sooo much trouble!"

"Later, bitch," Iris said before jumping out the window onto the grass right below her.

After picking up her backpack, she bolted across the lawn and straight for her house. Her ghost friend was flying right behind her.

"Be careful!" Stuart said.

"I will b- Stuart?" she looked up and Stuart was gone.

Iris stopped running to catch her breath. Once stopped, she saw a hooded figure looming a few feet away from her, scythe in hand.

"Ah, shit," she said before sprinting down the street.

The figure was gaining quickly behind her. This was what Frank warned Stuart about to tell her. Like in every movie, Iris tripped and fell onto the concrete. Just as the hooded figure got to her, there were the sounds of gunshots that filled the spirit world.

"Nice timing there, Judge!" Iris smiled.

"Get home, Frank wants you there now."

"Thanks, Judge!"

She got up and ran the rest of the way home. Her knee throbbed from her fall, but she ignored it. What mattered most was to get home. Something evil was in their small-ass town and it needed to leave.

After a long trudge uphill, she finally reached her house. After five years, her dad had finally finished the house he was building. It was worth the wait too. She didn't stop running until the door slammed behind her.

"Dad?" she called into the house.

Without an answer, Frank came up behind his daughter and hugged her, "Are you ok?"

"Jesus, don't do that please!" she jumped.

"Are you ok?" he asked again.

"Yes dad, I'm fine."

"Did you see it?" he put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. She was just shy five two, only three inches shorter than her father.

"Yes," she couldn't lie to her father about that, "Judge came at just the right time."

"Good," he said. He finally released her and they walked into the kitchen.

Iris hopped up on the counter as Frank got out the first aid kit for her knee.

"School?"

"Horrible as usual. I don't know why you keep asking. I'm always going to say the same thing."

"Who knows," he smiled to her, "it might change."

"Yeah right, dad."

"I'm going to off you this again, sweetie. Home schooling."

She smiled, "Dad, that could be dangerous."

"But there would be no harsh letters."

"I got two of them today."

"Only two? Usually you complain about more."

Iris shrugged, "It was early in the day before I ditched."

"I'm glad you did when you did. Good timing there."

"Dad, you know I don't enjoy skipping, but I do anyway because the kids are horrible."

Frank had put a bandage on his daughter's knee and put the first aid kit back. Iris hopped down from the counter and walked over next to her dad.

"Home schooling, kiddo."

"What was that thing?"

Frank sighed, "Remember that thing that got mom a few years ago?"

She hesitated before answering, "Yeah."

"Something kinda like that."

"That's awesome," she said sarcastically, "And its haunting Fairwater?"

"Yes."

"Well this is just dandy."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Iris, wake up," Frank said shaking his daughter awake.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled through her pillow.

"Not five more minutes. It's passed eleven," Frank said pulling the sheets away from Iris.

"What about school?" she asked dazed as she sat up.

"Do you _really_ want to go to school?"

"Point taken."

"Get up, ok? Walt called earlier this morning; he wanted to see us at the station."

"'Kay," she said as she flopped back down in the bed.

Frank had left the room, leaving Iris to wake up all on her own. She hated mornings, even if it was eleven in the morning. After a few minutes of just attempting to wake up, Iris finally put her feet on the floor and staggered into the bathroom.

Once actually fully awake from splashing cold water on her face, Iris finished up in the bathroom and went back into her room to get dressed. Staring into her closet for five minutes, she grabbed a blue, black and grey flannel shirt and a black cami. Once those were on, she kicked off her pj pants and pulled on a pair of grey skinny jeans. She was about to run down the stairs when she turned back. Shoes usually helped. She pulled on a pair of black chuck taylors and then ran down the stairs.

Iris tended to get made fun of for her clothes too. She didn't like all the pink and frills. Her style was mostly either black or blue. She loved to wear flannel shirts like her dad. Apparently popular girls found that lame or stupid. Well screw the popular kids, Iris would usually say, they were wrong.

"That was quick," Frank said.

Iris had walked downstairs into the kitchen where Frank waited. He was listening to a speech Stuart was giving him. He was relieved when she walked down.

"Don't need much time, dad," she said, "Morning, Stuart."

"Oh, morning Iris," Stuart said with a smile, then returned to his speech to Frank.

Iris smiled to her dad who was begging her to get him out of the conversation with the spirit. She walked behind her dad and put her arms around his neck in a hug. What he thought was a hug was actually his daughter stealing his car keys from his flannel pocket.

"I'm driving," she said, casually walking out to his car.

"I don't think so," he said chasing after her.

"Dad, I really don't feel like fearing for my life today."

Frank stopped just outside the front door, "What's that suppose to mean?"

"I'm driving," Iris repeated, jumping in the driver seat.

Frank locked up the house and got into his Volvo. It was a piece of shit according to Stuart, Cyrus, Judge, and Iris… and anyone who knew Frank in general. Well, Frank wasn't the most careful drivers in the town of Fairwater either, so there was that.

Iris was a better driver than Frank on the way over to the police station. She was actually careful, stopped at every stop sign and light, and most importantly she kept on her _own_ side of the road. Even though Frank was the worst driver in the history of driving, he still held onto the door handle for dear life. He didn't want to admit the fact that his daughter was driving and somehow she would do worse than he. And that was physically impossible.

Iris had safely pulled into a parking space in the police station parking lot. Frank was the first one out, happy to be out of a car with his daughter behind the wheel. Iris shut off the car and got out, throwing the keys of the car to her dad. She crossed her arms and smirked to Frank.

"I didn't do _that_ bad, did I?"

"No, no," Frank insisted, "You did fine."

"I'm sorry you're not used to careful driving skills," she laughed.

Without another word, she happily strolled into the police station. Not even phased, Frank walked into the station after his daughter. He always wondered why Walt Perry would call them in. both of them. Frank didn't tell anyone about his communications with the other side to anyone and neither did Iris. This time it outta be interesting.

"Hey, Frank. Iris," Sheriff Perry greeted.

"Hey, Walt. What's up?"

"You remember Milton Dammers, from the FBI?" Walt asked with a slight annoyance in his voice.

Frank rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I remember him."

"He wants to speak to your daughter."

"I don't think so," Frank said defensively, "He is not getting near my daughter."

Milton Dammers was a psychotic FBI agent that interrogated Frank a few years ago. Iris had no idea what was going on at the time. Frank had her staying with her aunt and uncles at the time and never told her what happened when she was away.

"I'm sorry, Frank, but he has a higher power than I do," Walt said.

"He's crazy, and not getting anywhere near my daughter."

A bang was heard from down one of the hallways. The three turned to look down the hall and saw a small man dressed in black peaking around the corner.

"Dammers, she's here," Walt said with that annoyed tone.

"Bannister," Milton said still stand off-ish.

"Dammers," Frank said with a pissed off tone. He put his arm around his daughter.

Iris looked from her father to the FBI agent. She hung onto her dad, not even going to question who this freak job was.

Dammers tried to smile, but ended up looking like a pedophile, "Hello there, Iris."

She hung onto Frank even tighter. This guy was a major nut job. No way was Frank going to let his only child get near this guy who nearly killed him a few years prior.

"You're staying away from my daughter," Frank said sternly.

Dammers flashed him his FBI badge, "By the power of the United States Government you will allow me to speak to your daughter for five minutes."

"By the power of me, you're not getting near her," he said.

"Five minutes, I won't harm her," he said with that same pedophile "smile".

Iris let go of her dad and looked into his eyes, "I can handle myself, daddy."

Frank sighed, "Ok. Dammers, if you do anything to her, I will have to kill you."

"I shall take that as a threat."

"It was meant to be a threat."

"Come, Iris," Dammers said walking back down the hallway.

"I'm not a dog," she snapped and followed him.

Once the two were out of sight, Frank turned to Walt.

"Well, Dammers is in for it," Frank said crossing his arms with a smile.

"He _did_ want to speak to her alone. He asked for it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Dammers had shown Iris into a questioning room. He showed her to a chair behind a small table. Iris had refused to sit down in the chair, but on the table instead. She was about to give this guy hell. To her, he just looked like he deserved it. Frank and him seemed to have a rough history so it was only fair to do what Frank couldn't at the time.

"Miss Bannister," Dammers started off, "How well does your father treat you?"

"What kinda question is that? He treats me how a father _should_ treat his daughter. He's the best dad a girl could ask for. Something I guess you didn't have with your dad."

"That wasn't what I was asking," Milton said.

"I think it was. You're just an idiot," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Does he treat you fairly?"

"Yes! I told you he did! You're just too stupid to listen!" she yelled.

Women yelling made Milton extremely uncomfortable. Iris screaming at him made him back up to the far wall and covered his ears. Iris smirked devilishly. She had found his weakness.

"Now," Dammers began again, calmed down, "Did Frank ever hurt you in any way?"

"No."

"Did he ever-"

"Dammers, shut up. My daddy would never in a million years think about hurting me. He loves me very much and I know that for a fact. He wouldn't let anything happen to me. If you have a problem with that, you messed with the wrong family."

"Funny you should mention that," Dammers said, "Your father has been accused for the recent death of your high school vice principal, Edward Cahill. Know him?"

"Yeah. I know him. I see him every time I skip school. He's dead? Oh wow!"

"Frank Bannister is a prime suspect."

"Why?"

"You, Miss Bannister, seem to always cut classes. So Frank is the main suspect for the murder. He constantly would get mad at the school system for calling him for you skipping classes-"

"Hey!" she shouted, "My daddy understands _why_ I cut classes! He could give two shits about what the hell the vice principal says! You're just an asshole that needs to get over the fact that my dad is innocent!"

Dammers covered his ears again and backed up against the wall. Iris stood from the table and walked over to him. Dammers did his best to get away from her, but she ended up cornering him.

"Listen here, Dammers! Whatever happened with the vice principal of Broken Arrow High, it wasn't my daddy's fault. You're an asshole and you need to get your facts straightened out before you go off accusing people of murders! Get off our backs, and get a fricking life, ok?"

She spun on her heals and walked out of the room, leaving Dammers on the floor in the fetal position. Happy with her success, she left him alone in the room. She found her way back out to the main room where Frank and Walt were talking.

"Everything ok?" Frank asked once Iris hard rejoined them.

"Fine," she said with a smile, "He's currently in the fetal position on the floor, just a heads up."

"What did you do to him?" Frank asked with a smile.

"Nothing much, just yelled at him."

"Dammers has a problem with women yelling at him," Walt informed Frank.

"That's my girl," Frank smiled.

"Vice Principal Cahill is dead," she added.

"That's one of the main reasons we called you down here," Walt said. He stood and took Frank aside for a few minutes.

"What's going on?" Frank asked in a low tone.

"Well, Dammers seems to think that you're a suspect in the death of Cahill."

"What? That's stupid. Why in the world would he even _think_ that?"

"He thinks it because Cahill was the vice principal of Iris's school. Dammers also believes you're unfit to look after a minor until you get some psychiatric help."

"Is it considered murder if I make it look like an accident? What the hell is this guy's problem? I've been taking care of my daughter by myself for five years. Do I know what I'm doing half the time, no, but I put her first and look after her. He's the one who shouldn't repopulate."

"Don't worry, Frank," Walt said, "I'm on your side with this. But if Dammers does anything, I have to listen to him. He's an agent of the government, and I gotta listen to him."

"If he even tries to take my daughter so help me God…"

"Try not to worry too much, Frank," Walt assured, "I have you're back."

"Thanks, Walt."

"You two should probably get going before Dammers decides to get back up. Iris seemed to mess him up pretty bad."

"That's my girl," he smiled proudly.

Frank and Walt had walked back over to Iris. They said their goodbyes to Walt and the rest of the station and walked outside into the rainy afternoon in Fairwater. Iris held her hand open to Frank until he'd give her the car keys. After a few minutes, he handed them over to her. She smiled and got in the driver seat.

"Dad, do you mind if I swing by the cemetery? I wanna see Cahill's funeral. That cool?"

"Sure, sweetie," Frank said.

Iris drove out of the police station right to the cemetery. It was full of cars and mourners of the late vice principal Cahill. Iris shut off the car that was now parked outside the gates of the cemetery. She and Frank got out of the Volvo and walked up to the mourners. Frank kept a distance behind his daughter, seeing how he was somehow a 'prime suspect' of the murder.

Iris stood toward the back of a small group of mourners. She listened carefully to the minister, saying his final remarks about the principal. On the other side of the mourner, a man stood. He was glowing blue and his face was contorted with ectoplasm. David Cahill was watching his own body being lowered into the ground. Iris was just about to push her way through the mourners when one of them in front of her snapped.

"Hey! Watch where you're-" the mourner turned around and it was one of the girls that picked on Iris to her disappointment, "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"It's a public place, Allison; I can be here if I want. It's a right of a student and a citizen," Iris crossed her arms over her chest.

"Everyone's talking about you, you know? Doesn't surprise me really. A psycho like you and your dad killing Vice Principal Cahill, not shocking none the less. "

"We didn't do anything," Iris snapped.

Frank was in an ear shot of all of this and decided to break it up before the fists started flying. Just as Frank walked over, Allison's mother walked over. The two parents glared at each other.

"Frank Bannister, what are you doing here?"

"Magda Rees-Jones, what a pleasure to see you."

"Come to grieve or are you just here to con money off of people? Or was the guilt so powerful you had to come and say what you did."

"I didn't do anything, Magda. This is a public place, I have a right to be here to grieve you know?"

"Please, Mr. Bannister, you have no self pity for this man. You shouldn't even be here. They're out for you, Mr. Bannister."

"Who, the cops? Well I have nothing to hide. I didn't do it."

"Please, it's all over," Magda said, "You and your mentally unstable daughter."

Frank put his arm across Iris chest, shit was about to go down. She had crossed the line.

"Insult me all you want, but don't you _ever_ insult my daughter."

"Come on, Alli, let's go, we might be next," Magda said putting an arm around her daughter, leading her away.

It was a good thing Frank had his arm across Iris's chest, or else she would've had a total beat down in the middle of the cemetery. Iris tried to go after her, but Frank grabbed her shoulder before she got anywhere near her. Iris wanted to tackle Allison to the ground, pull out her fake hair extensions and beat the shit outta her. But no, Frank had to be a good parent and stop that from happening.

Angered, Iris turned and began walking back to the car. Her pace was quick and steady. She wanted outta the cemetery and far away from the Rees-Jones as possible. Frank was close behind her trying his best to catch up to his daughter.

Iris jumped in the car and sat there pissed off for a few seconds alone before Frank joined her in the car.

"Sweetie, what the hell just happened back there?" Frank asked.

"I hate her so much. I want to slap her upside the head with a very sharp and pointy knife and hope she doesn't live. And then I want that new escaped killer to behead her and I won't see her in hell…"

"Someone has some anger problems," he smiled.

"Not funny, dad," she said.

"I'm sorry, honey, but that's no way to solve your problems."

"Yes it is!" she exclaimed, "Allison Rees-Jones has been making my life a living hell since kindergarten! I hate her so much! She's the one always taping notes onto my locker, or telling someone else to tape something to my locker! I don't care if I go to hell for wishing she'd go to hell!" Iris banged her head on the steering wheel a few times before leaving it sit there.

"Honey, don't worry. I wish the same horrible death to her mother. She's the one that put me outta business a few years ago."

"The Frighteners you mean?" Iris asked.

"Yeah. The Rees-Jones are dead to me ok?" Frank tried to make his daughter feel better, somehow, "Would it make you feel better sending Cyrus and Stuart to pick on them a bit?"

Iris smiled to Frank, "Yes it would. Tomorrow at school send them in. I wanna see the look on Allison's face when she sees something move right in front of her."

"Iris, just remember one thing. Pay back is a royal bitch," Frank smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Iris sucked it up and got up at 5:30 the next morning for school. She had a huge smile on her face as she got ready. Allison was about to get a little taste of payback. Revenge was always sweet and Iris could taste the candy already.

She happily walked down into the kitchen and saw Stuart getting some sort of random speech ready for Frank when he got up. She smiled to him.

"Good morning, Stuart! How are you this morning?" Iris asked happily.

"Who are you?" Stuart asked, "The Iris I know is always a pain in the ass in the morning."

"I got a nice little proposition for you. Where's Cyrus?" she asked.

"Lemme go get him for you," Stuart said as he walked through a few walls.

As Iris got some sort of breakfast together, consisting of a glass of orange aid and a chocolate chip poptart, Stuart got a taller black spirit that was probably pissed off. A pissed off 70's spirit wasn't a good mix. He had a bit of anger problems in the morning.

"What?" he asked.

"I gotta little proposition for you two. Interested?"

"What's in it for us?" Cyrus asked crossing his arms.

"You get to see a little pussy scream for her mommy. Possibly other kids practically piss their pants."

"Got our attention," Cyrus said.

"Yeah," Stuart added with a grin.

Iris smirked devilishly, "That's what I like to hear, guys. Now here's the plan. Around ten o'clock I have a class with this girl that I absolutely hate. Now, to find the room, I'll leave the classroom around 10:05 and meet you two around the east entrance bathrooms. You following?"

"Yeah," they said.

"Now, that's when you follow me back to my class and then pretty much just have at it. You guys gotta scare the ever loving shit outta this one girl in particular. I'll point her out when I walk back into the room. You guys in?"

"We're in," they smiled.

"Wait," Stuart interjected, "Does Frank know about this?"

"No."

"Sounds like fun," Cyrus said.

"Well, I gotta get to school," Iris said grabbing her backpack, "I'll see you guys at ten then."

Iris ran out the door and happily ran to the school. She had a great feeling about today. No note would ever be taped on her locker anymore after this day.

Time seemed to be crawling for Iris as she stared down at her watch every few seconds during each class period. Soon, the bell rang to go to third period. Iris practically ran down the hall to her class. It was a boring social studies class with the world's most boring teacher. The bell rang for all the students to be in that class. The teacher took attendance and that's when Iris stood with her passbook to go to the 'bathroom'.

Iris was in the halls when she saw Cyrus and Stuart near the entrance she told them to meet at. She didn't want to be entitled an even bigger loser, so she used hand gestures to show them where the class room was. She had a huge smirk on her face when she returned to the classroom. As she walked back to her desk in the back corner she nodded her head toward Allison who sat in front of her.

The teacher was going off on the history of how pens were invented when the lights began to flicker. The students began to get a big uncomfortable. Some of the lights burst causing a few screams out of the kids. Books began to fly off the shelves and the kids jumped from their desks to under them for protection. Iris thought that this was all Cyrus and Stuart, but soon thought differently when a book almost nailed her in the head.

"Oh no…" she said as a hooded figure appeared through the black board right near the teacher.

"Now calm down, students," the teacher said.

That was the last words the teacher had said before the hooded figure stuck his hand into his chest, crushing his heart. The teacher fell onto the floor with a thud, and the kids in the class screamed.

"Cyrus? Stuart?" Iris called in a low voice.

"What the hell did you do, Bannister?" Allison snapped.

"Shut up! I didn't do anything!" Iris said.

Iris shot up out of her desk and ran out into the hallway. The activity only got worse when she got out into the hall. Lockers began to open and papers and books flew out of them.

"Cyrus! Stuart!" she wanted to know where her spirit friends were at.

Annoyed, Iris plucked her phone from her pocket and hit the number two on speed dial. She put it up to her ear as she began to run down the hallway. Two rings the phone answered.

"Iris? What's wrong?" Frank asked.

"Everything! Something's going on down here, daddy. I just watched the hooded figure from the other day kill my social studies teacher! Where the hell is Stuart and Cyrus?"

"Stuart and Cyrus are right here," Frank said, "They got out when they saw the hooded figure. Are you alright?"

Iris dodged a book about to hit her in the head, "I'll be fine. I'm just trying to get outta the school."

"Be careful, I'll be right down."

"OK daddy."

Frank hung up first and Iris returned the phone to her pocket. As she ran, more kids flooded into the hallway. Everyone was in a mass panic. Kids were screaming how their teacher just heaved over, dead.

"IRIS BANNISTER! TO THE PRINCIPALS OFFICE!" an announcement screamed over the intercom.

Iris stopped running and walked as carefully as possible to the principal's office. She did nothing wrong. It was all the hooded figures fault, not hers. It also wasn't her fault that she had seen her teacher die. She had walked into the principal's office calmly.

The main principal sat angrily at his desk as Iris sat down in front of him.

"How _dare_ you even cut school! You know better than to do such a thing!"

"Nice to see you too, David. How's the wife and kids?"

"No small talk, Bannister. I know you're dad's behind all these deaths."

"Funny you should mention deaths, yeah Mr. Mummer is dead and I'm pretty sure a few other teachers are too. Now if you excuse me, David, I gotta get outta here before something extremely bad happens."

Iris stood and began to walk out of the office.

"You're finished here at Broken Arrow High, Bannister! Finished! You're just like you're father! A slacker!"

Without another word, Iris walked back into the chaos of the hallway and ran outside to the awaiting Volvo of her dad. She jumped in the passenger seat and Frank took off.

"What the hell is going on in there? I've seen at least thirty or forty kids run out screaming."

"Daddy, some weird hooded figure was in there. I saw it reach into Mr. Mummer's chest and crush his heart! What the hell is going on in this town?"

"I have a bad feeling Johnny Bartlett is back with a grudge."

"Johnny Bartlett, why do I know that name from somewhere?"

"Bartlett was the guy that killed twelve people back in 19-something or other in the old hospital. Well, I never told you this but five years ago, he was back in Fairwater, killing again. The hooded figure was him. He was killing people left and right. Lucy's husband Ray was a victim."

"Lucy Lynskey?"

"Yeah, her husband was a victim. I never told you this. You were too young at the time and I didn't want to worry you at all. Bartlett had this thing for having a record of killings. Well he's apparently back and ready to beat his score."  
"That's just not right!" Iris exclaimed.

"Now the only problem that I fear is that he has help."

"From who?"

"Her name is Patricia Bradley. Back when Bartlett killed those twelve people, he had help from his girlfriend Patricia. The two of them have been trying to get a high score for killing people."

"That's just wrong…"

"I also never told you the uh, truth behind mom's death."

"But it was a car accident, wasn't it?"

"Not fully, sweetheart. What actually killed her was… Bartlett…"

"What?" she was hurt and shocked at the same time.

"I'm sorry I never told you the truth, Iris. I never thought that Bartlett would ever escape hell."

"It's not your fault, daddy," Iris said, "I understand. Really."

"Are you sure, kiddo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, honest. I'm just a little freaked seeing my social studies teacher drop over dead."

Frank knew that it wasn't true. Frank knew that Iris was too used to death to even phase her anymore. He knew that she was pissed off for his lie than the death of a social studies teacher.

"Where we going, daddy?"

"Back to the police station. Gotta report the teacher's death to Walt."

"But that Dammers guy!"

"You can handle him all by yourself."

"Good deal, daddy, good deal."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

When the Bannister's walked into the police station the phones were ringing off the hook. Nearly half the teachers in the Broken Arrow High School had dropped dead in their classes. All from crushed hearts.

"Frank," Walt said walking up to the Bannister's, "What was going on in that school this morning?"

"I have no idea, Walt," Frank shrugged.

"Iris? Do you have any idea?"

She nodded. Walt took her aside into that same room where Dammers had her the day before. Frank had joined them, not even going to leave his daughter alone with Dammers lurking about. Iris sat on the table like she did yesterday.

"Iris, what happened?" Walt asked.

"Well, during third period I left to use the bathroom and when I got back weird stuff started happening. First the lights started to flicker and then a few burst. The next thing I saw was the teacher, Mr. Mummer, fall over. One of the other kids walked up to him and said he was dead.

"The activity only got worse from there. It was the oddest thing! Books and papers started flying around the room. A ton of kids decided to head for the halls but that was only worse than the classrooms. Kids kept running out of their classrooms saying how their teacher had fallen over dead."

"Frank, I still have no idea how you could be behind this. This proves you are innocent."

"Thanks Walt, I-"

"Not so fast, Sheriff Perry."

"Awe, son of a-" Iris started to say, but caught herself when Frank shot her a warning glare.

The little twerp Dammers decided to creep into the room. He should be arrested for stalking three people. But no, some how he'd turn it back around and say how one of the others should be arrested just because he could do that.

"Don't be jumping to conclusions just yet," he said as he lurked to the corner of the room.

Not a good move.

Iris stood from the table and walked over to him. Yes she was shorter than Dammers, but that didn't mean jack to her. She smiled devilishly to him.

"What makes you so sure, Dammers?"

Walt whispered to Frank, "She's a little harsh, isn't she?"

"Not at all. Dammers is getting what he deserves," Frank whispered back to Walt with a smile.

Walt shrugged in agreement to Frank's comment. No one in the police station liked Dammers. At all. They just put up with him because they had to. Frank could honestly care less about Dammers. He had shot him a few years ago, so why shouldn't Frank keep a grudge.

"Listen, Dammers, you weren't there, you don't know what happened. So don't go around sticking your nose into things you have no idea about."

"Oh and like a teenager knows what's right from wrong, cute."

"You bastard! You have no idea what goes through my head, and I think you don't even know what goes through yours!" she yelled. Dammers collapsed to the floor in the fetal position. Iris got in closer, "try me, Dammers. I dare you."

Frank grabbed his daughter by her shoulders and drug her away from the almost crying man on the floor.

"That's enough," Frank said, "You did your job."

"But I wasn't through…"

"You'll get another chance there, ok?"

"Ok."

Frank hurried her out of the room and told her to wait for him outside in the hallway. Walt gave Frank a weird look.

"Does she have anger problems?"

"I think so, yes."

"Anyway, Frank, I vote just try to stay outta the public eye for a few days and see if there are anymore killings."

"Sounds like a good idea. But what about Iris? She has school."

"Let her go to school. Keep things normal as possible."

"Sounds like a good plan, Walt."

"Speaking of school, where were you during this chaotic morning?"

"I just got up when Iris called me. She said something weird was going on down at the school. I simply told her I'd be down to pick her up and head over here. That's it."

"What about her? Did she actually _see_ her teacher fall over dead?"

"That's what she said, wasn't it?"

"She could've done it," Dammers peeped up.

"What?" Walt and Frank asked in unison.

"She could've willed the teacher to fall over dead with the power of her mind. It's possible. Nina Kulagina willed a frog dead with the power of her mind. Who's to say that you're daughter, Frank, didn't do that with her mind? She could've done it without even herself to be aware of what she did."

"I'm pretty sure you're crazy," Frank said, "I looked into the Kulagina case. She did will a frog dead. But that's a small creature. It would've taken a lot more power to will a _person_ dead. My daughter would never be capable of doing that."

"Who's to say, Frank? Anything is possible."

"I don't feel comfortable being in the same room as you, so I think I'm gonna go. See ya, Walt."

"See ya, Frank. Just try to be careful where you go."

"I will," Frank nodded.

"She could've done it, Frank!" Dammers called out to him.

Frank simply flipped him off and joined his daughter outside in the hallway. He lead her out of the police station and back out into the parking lot. He didn't allow Iris to drive at the moment. He had someone he needed to pay a visit too.

"Dad, what the heck was Dammers talking about? With the whole Nina whatsherface?"

"Nina Kulagina willed a frog dead with her mind."

"Sweet."

"Not in the way that Dammers was using it."

"Daddy, what's going on?"

Frank sighed, "Iris, there are just some things that would be easier to tell the truth with. But then with telling the truth, it's harder to people to understand with."

"What are you trying to say?"

"If we could tell people we saw some hooded figure kill those teachers, then we would have no secondary problems. But since we can't, we have to deal with those secondary problems."

"Dammers being a complete dick?"

"More like dumbass. He, somehow, thinks that you killed your teacher with your mind and somehow didn't know."

Iris burst out laughing, "Oh my god! He's so stupid!"

"Please don't tell me you're just figuring this out?"

"No I knew that already, but he's just… wow… dumbass."

Frank smiled, "Yeah, he's not the brightest crayon on the box."

"No really?" she said sarcastically, "so, where we goin now?"

"I know someone that could help us out with all of this."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Dr. Lucy Lynskey was one of Frank's only, living, friends. They had gotten pretty close back when her husband was a victim of Bartlett. Since Frank could see spirits, Lucy came to him to help out with her 'marital' problems. They ended up hitting it off pretty well, as friends.

Frank had pulled up to Lucy's house just as she was walking out the door. Frank told Iris to stay in the car at the moment as he went to talk to Lucy.

"Frank? Oh good, I was just about to go over to your house," Lucy said to Frank with a smile.

"Weird," he smiled back.

"Frank, I heard about what's going on with the deaths. I think it's totally bull," she said, "No way are you behind those deaths. You're you, Frank."

"Thank you, I think."

"It's a compliment. No way you'd ever think of hurting anyone. Especially anyone at your daughter's school."

"Dammers is back in the town," Frank added.

"Oh that's just… wonderful," she said sarcastically.

"I swear to god, Lucy, I will probably kill that man."

"What did he do to you, Frank?"

"I swear, he's trying to get Iris away from me. He keeps asking her questions alone and he's only doing this for revenge on me."

"Frank, that creepy little man is not out to get you. You're bigger than him," Lucy said.

"I doubt that," Frank said crossing his arms.

"You're not that short, Frank. But I was being figurative. I meant that you're bigger than him, mentally. You always take the high road."

"Lucy, I'm about to take the extreme low road. If he ever takes my daughter, I will have to ruin his life."

"Don't worry; everything is going to be ok."

Lucy had given Frank a hug right then and there. Iris, still in the car, smiled. She always liked Lucy with her dad. Lucy was a good woman and has a good heart toward Frank. It wouldn't hurt having a doctor around either. Lucy was a motherly figure to Iris, or at least she thought she was.

"Listen, Lucy, if anything _does_ happen to Iris could you possibly…"

"Yes, Frank. Don't worry; I'll look after her if anything does happen."

"Thank you so much," Frank gave her another hug.

"Frank, you know I'd do anything for you," she smiled.

"You are the best, really."

"I know," she smiled.

The two then said their goodbyes and Frank returned to the car. Iris smiled to him.

"What?" Frank asked, starting up the car and pulling out of the driveway.

"Ask her out already!" Iris exclaimed.

"You're crazy," he said.

"Dad, I know you like her like that. So you should do something about it!"

"Iris, no."

"What about if all of this crap with Dammers and Bartlett are over?"

"We'll see," Frank said, "Let's just worry about one thing at a time."

Iris laughed, "You're funny dad."

OoOoOoO

"Iris Bannister, please report to the principals office, Iris Bannister."

Iris looked up at the intercom in her business class. She sighed and grabbed all her books and papers. The teacher handed her a pass without making eye contact with her. Despite the scoffs and giggles, she continued out of the room and down the hall. She had reached the principals office and smiled.

"Hey, David," she sat down, "You better have a good reason for pulling me out of business. You know it's-"

"You're favorite class, I know, Bannister. Listen, I just got a call from the police department."

Iris's heart sank to her foot, "What happened?"

"Some guy from the FBI made the call. Didn't say much."

"Milton Dammers?" Iris asked.

"That's the guy. Sounds like a creep."

"He is! He's out to ruin us…"

"Us? As in, Frank and you?"

"Correct, David."

"Sweetie, all I can really tell you is to just grab your things and I'll take you over personally, alright?"

"Thanks, David," Iris smiled and stood up.

"You know I'd do anything for my favorite niece."

"Uh, adopted niece, David," Iris said as she stood from the chair.

"Even so, I like you the most outta everyone in his school."

"That's great to know, Dave. I hate everyone in this school."

"I'm aware of that. Just don't take to long."

"I won't," she said going out of the office down to her locker.

Once her stuff was in her locker and grabbed her hoodie, she slammed it outta frustration and walked back to the principal's office. Dammers had probably done something stupid yet again.

"Come on, Iris, cheer up, it's probably all not that bad."

"I'm pretty sure it is if Dammers called."

David hurried her out of the school and into his car. She was quiet during the whole car ride over. Once at the police station, David let her out. She said her thanks and goodbyes and David drove off.

Iris ran up the stairs into the police station where she finally saw Walt. She walked up to him with her backpack still on her back.

"Walt, what the hell is going on?" she demanded, "Is everything ok?"

"Define ok?" Walt asked.

She sighed heavily, "What happened? Where's my dad?"

"I'm afraid you can't see him anymore."

Iris turned quickly and saw Dammers standing by the hallway, hiding behind the corner. Anger boiled up inside of her.

"What and the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, walking over to the very creepy man.

"Did I stutter? You can't see him anymore. He's an unfit parent."

"You son of a bitch. What the hell happened?" she turned back to Walt, "and I _don't_ wanna hear what happened from that creep. Walt, what happened?"

"There was another death this morning," Walt said, "Frank was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You know he did it, Sheriff Perry," Dammers said.

"Shut up!" she snapped at Dammers. That shut him up for a little bit, "Walt, what happened? Where was it and who was it?"

"Outside Harley's Hardware store on Third and Garrett this morning around ten o'clock."

"Who was it?"

"Bryson Carter? College student visiting his parents for the weekend. The student was found in the alleyway next to the Hardware store; Frank was next to the body."

"This can't be happening…"

"Did you know the kid?"

"Sortta. He was friends with the Lynskey's before Ray died. I think Lucy was his tutor or something. I knew him through her. I can't believe it… Bryson's dead… he was like, my only friend. Can I talk to my dad, Walt? Please?"

"No," Dammers said.

"I wasn't asking you!" she shouted. Dammers cowered back a little bit, "Walt, can I see him, please?"

"Follow me, please, Iris," Walt said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Walt led Iris back into the cells. She was frustrated, sad, angry, but mostly pissed the hell off. Iris also wished Milton dead and Bartlett could kill him in the afterlife so he wouldn't be roaming the earth.

"Walt, why the hell do you let him push you around like this?"

"Who? Milton?"

"Yes, Milton! Why do you let him do all of this to you? Push you around and tell you what to do. You're bigger than him."

"He has a higher rank than I do. He's an agent of the FBI, I'm merely a sheriff."

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard, Walt… he's a creep of a man and you should be telling him what to do."

"I love your enthusiasm, Iris, but I can't do that," Walt said. The two stopped outside one of the cells, "Here. Just call when you want out."

"I won't leave without him."

"Sweetie, don't take too long ok?" Walt said opening the cell.

She nodded and walked in. Frank had a pacing problem; she knew this for a fact. He was pacing up and down the small cell. She had set down her backpack by the door.

"Daddy," she said.

"Oh thank god you're ok," Frank said hugging her tightly.

"Daddy," she said again, "What the hell happened?"

"Bartlett struck again. I'm sorry it had to be Bryson."

"It was Bartlett, not you. Now what's gonna happen? Bartlett's going to keep killing and somehow blame the town for it. Daddy, something has to be done about him!"

"Stuart and Cyrus are on it," Frank said.

"Judge?"

"He went back up to the cemetery."

"What? So Judge is out?"

"Yeah," Frank said, "Honey, it's up to you, Stuart and Cyrus now."

"Great… just one more thing to add."

"Honey, I promise that everything's going to be ok."

"Dad, what about now?"

Frank sighed, "For now, go with Lucy. I know you can handle Dammers, but just be careful and everything will be ok."

"But, what about you?"

"I'll be fine," he smiled to her.

"Iris, times up," Walt called in.

She hugged Frank again, tightly. She didn't want to let go. She pulled away and Frank kissed her forehead.

"Everything's going to be ok," he smiled, "I promise. Just go to Lucy, ok?"

"Ok, daddy," Iris picked up her backpack again.

"I love you, Iris," Frank said.

"I love you too, daddy."

Iris grabbed her bag and flung it over her shoulder. She gave Frank one last hug before he hurried her out of the cell. Walt locked the door and called in through the small slot.

"I'm sorry, Frank."

Walt lead Iris out of the cells and back to the main area of the station. All hell was broken loose again. Another killing.

"Perry," the one newbie Timmy said, "Another victim was declared dead."

"Who?" Walt asked.

"David Cooper, Broken Arrow's principal."

"What? David's dead? How? I just saw him! He's the one who dropped me off here." Iris asked.

"Car accident," Timmy said with a sigh.

"This cannot be happening right now…"

"'Fraid so, kid," Timmy said.

"Ok, this is the worst day ever. First some asshole FBI agent arrests my father, and now my adopted uncle is dead! My only friend died this morning and my life just sucks!" Iris exclaimed, "I'm outta here."

"Iris!" Perry called.

She ignored him and kept walking out of the station. Lucy was waiting outside the station. Iris smiled a little and ran into her arms for a hug.

"I heard what happened this morning. I can see how you're taking it," she said.

"Life sucks!"

"I know, Iris. Frank told me to look after you, and that's what I intend to do."

"Thank you so much, Lucy," Iris said with a smile.

"Did you hear about Bryson?" Lucy asked, leading Iris to her SUV.

She nodded, "Yeah. Lucy I am so sorry."

"I'm fine, I'm worry about you. You seemed to be pretty close with Bryson."

"I was in a way," Iris got in the passenger side of the SUV as Lucy got behind the driver side, "He was the only person sortta around my age that I'd conceder a friend."

"How's school been for you?"

"Horrible. Kids hate me, my favorite teachers are dead and so is my adopted uncle."

"Adopted uncle?" Lucy asked.

"David Cooper was close with my dad and I became close with him because I ended up in his office every other day. It was just sortta a run on joke with the family I suppose…"

"Is there anything about school that you do like?"

"Business class and pre-architectural design."

"Taking after Frank?" she asked with a smile.

Iris laughed, "Sortta. I'd be cool to be an architect."

"Business?"

"That's there in case I want to start my own architectural company."

Lucy smiled, "A lawyer would be good right about now."

Iris smiled, "Yeah. I could do it, but I'd get laughed at."

"For being too young?"

"Yeah, which is crap."

"Don't worry, Iris, you'll get a chance to clear your name."

Iris looked down at the floor of the car, "he's innocent."

"I know that, sweetie. He told me about Bartlett."

"You can see him too, right?"

"Yes. That's why I'm on your side. I can see Bartlett, but I haven't seen him in action yet. Have you?"

"Yes. I saw him kill my social studies teacher right in front of the entire class."

"He's trying for that high score again. I swore he was in hell."

"He got out apparently. He's going back there if it's the last thing I do."

"Are Stuart and Cyrus on it?"

"Yes."

Lucy sighed, "Well, the only thing we can do now is hope that they do something."

Iris sighed and stared out the window of Lucy's SUV. She wanted everything to be ok. She wanted David and Bryson alive, to be back in Frank's arms and him telling her that everything was going to be ok. It wasn't. Bartlett had to go. This was a fact. But it was a fact that needed to be corrected. And soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

"_Maybe school won't be that bad today…_" Iris mocked. Lucy had told her school would be ok the next day. Lies, "Yeah ok, Luce… School's great…"

A paper ball hit her on the back of the head. Giggles and chuckles were heard in the halls. Iris stuck her head in her locker and tried her best not to completely loose it.

"Keep it together, Bannister…" she said to herself in a low voice.

"Who in the world are you talking too?" someone scoffed.

Iris took her head out of her locker and turned. Allison was standing there with a group of her friends. They all were giggling, wearing matching pink skirts. Bitches…

"Who are you talking to, weird-o?" Allison laughed.

"No one," she mumbled, slamming her locker.

Allison laughed again, "You are such a freak," she took a pink sticky note and put it on her locker in front of her face, "There. All better."

Rees-Jones and her gang of bitches walked off down the hall laughing. Iris kicked her locker in frustration. She wished Frank wouldn't've held her back in the cemetery and beat the shit outta her. Iris looked at the note. _Freak,_ it read. Angered, she crumbled it up and threw it in the nearest trash can.

The bell rung and she headed to the bathroom. She locked the door and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't see how she'd get picked on. She was pretty according to Lucy, Walt and most of the spirits she's encountered. Her eyes were as blue as the sky's, just like Frank's. Her hair was long and brown and it liked to be in a braid casually resting on her shoulder. Clothes? She liked it simple, nothing flashy. Flannel shirts, simple jeans and plain colored tee shirts are what she loved to wear, just like Frank. Since a kid, she has always gotten that she looks exactly like Frank rather than her mom.

"Iris?"

She saw Stuart in the mirror. She turned and faced her friend with a fake smile, "Hey, Stuart. What's going on?"  
"Well, we lost Bartlett's trail," he saw Iris get annoyed, "But we did find the Bradley house, where we think that Patricia is holding Bartlett's ashes."

"So?"

"If we get the ashes, we can get them to consecrated grounds."

"How do you know this?"

"Frank told me what to say to you."

"How's he?"

"Misses you, wants to kill Dammers, same thing you're probably thinking."

"He's good," Iris said, "I am thinking the same thing. I gotta get outta here."

"I overheard Dammers and Sheriff Perry talking, and it's not going to be good for you," Stuart said.

"Oh gosh, what?"

"Well… Dammers is going to take you into custody."

"No way. I'm staying with Lucy."

"He knows you are, but he thinks that Lucy is working with Frank with all of these murders."

"Bullshit!" Iris exclaimed, "That's it," she picked up her bag and threw it out the window, "I'm going to that police station."

She unlocked the door and dove out the window, landing unpleasantly on her shoulder. Stuart walked through the wall and knelt down next to Iris on the ground.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Fine," she sat up and held her shoulder that was now probably bruised, "Damn window was up higher than I thought."  
"You sure you're ok?"

"Emotionally, no. Physically, I'll be fine," Iris stood and flung the backpack over her shoulder, "Where's Cyrus?"

"He went over to the Bradley house to do some investigating of his own. He told me to check in on you and Frank."  
"Smart move there."

The two began to walk off the school grounds and into the small town of Fairwater. She kept a slow pace to talk to Stuart without getting odd looks for 'talking to herself'.

"You seem upset about something," Stuart said, "Did something happen at school?"

"This girl Allison Rees-Jones… she harassed me this morning. She called me a weird-o and a freak, twice!"

"Was that the girl we were suppose to mess with the other day?"

Iris nodded as a man walked by with a briefcase in hand. She didn't want to actually answer Stuart that second. Once the man was out of sight, she turned her attention back to Stuart.

"Yup. Before Bartlett got there."

"Cyrus and I still are sorry about ditching like that."

"No big deal, honest. Some other time though?"

"Sure," he said with a smile passed all of the ectoplasm and goo.

The rest of the walk to the police station, Iris was silent. People kept walking by and she couldn't talk to Stuart. He talked to her about what Frank had told him earlier that morning. He went on saying how much Frank was sorry about not being around for Iris. Frank also said about Dammers being an asshole, but everyone knew that.

Iris thought about nasty things to say to Dammers. He had no right to take her into custody like that. She was about to make his life a living hell, regretting the day he ever decided to mess with a Bannister, well, another Bannister that is. Dammers was just a creepy little man who didn't know what kinda hole he just fell into.

Iris walked up to the police station with Stuart still by her side. He was going to leave her and go to Frank and tell him what was going on. Iris stood around and waited for Sheriff Perry or someone to come around.

After a wait of what seemed like forever, Sheriff Perry finally came out from the back.

"Hello, Iris," Perry said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, I was talking to Frank."

"When can he be let go?" Iris asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say, I'm sorry," he apologized.

"I understand," she said with a sigh.

"Good thing you're here, we wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"We?" she asked playing dumb. She knew what 'we' meant. We as in Walt and Dammers.

Walt led her down the hallway to the questioning room she knew too well for a normal sixteen year old girl. She sat up on the table top and threw her backpack on the chair where she should be sitting.

She and Walt were in a deep conversation about the deaths that were going on in the town before Dammers showed up. Her smile turned to a frown at the sight of him. She jumped off the table and walked over to him, pointing her finger at him.

"You son of a bitch," she started off as anyone would, "how _dare_ you lock up my dad and take me away from him."

"Iris," Walt pulled her back away from the creepy man, "Calm down, please."

"Why should I, Walt? That douche canoe just took the only family I have away from me!"

"Douche canoe?" Dammers muttered to himself, confused out of his mind.

"I'm staying with Lucy right now," Iris said, "You can't do anything about that."

"Actually, we can," Dammers said, "You see, Ms. Lynskey is working with Frank on all of these murders. We're keeping a close eye on her."

"What the hell am I suppose to do now?"

"Well, Iris, Agent Dammers has decided to keep an eye on you."

"Say what?" she asked, "No way in hell."

"You have no say in this," Dammers said with a creepy smile.

"God, it sucks being a minor…"

"Come along, Bannister," Dammers said showing her to the door, "You're about to have a splendid time."

"I hope you're ready, Dammers," she gave him a death glare, "You're about to be in hell."

"Is that a threat?"

"Bet your creepy ass it is," Iris said before walking out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

"My daughter is_ where_?" Frank asked.

Stuart had just informed Frank of what was going on with Iris and Lucy. He told Frank everything that he overheard with Walt and Dammers and also from what Iris had said. Frank was literally about to bust out of the cell, punch Dammers in the face and walk back in for assaulting a FBI agent.

All Stuart could say to Frank at the moment was, "I'm so sorry, Frank."

Frank couldn't get mad at the spirit. Stuart couldn't do anything anyway. Only the Bannister's, and Lucy, could see him. Besides, don't shoot the messenger.

"Is there anyway of her getting out of it?" Frank asked.

"Probably not. She's a minor and no other place to go. Dammers is going to make her life worse. He's probably going to make her go to school," Stuart said.

"Stuart, just please keep an eye on her. She's going to need it."

"Figured that much, Frank."

"How's the recon work going?"

"Great," Stuart smiled, "We found the Bradley house. Cyrus is there now doing some undercover work."

"Looking for the ashes? Good work, Stuart."

"Frank, to be honest with you, I'm more worried about Iris more than Bartlett right now."

Frank sighed, "I am too. She's my daughter and she's now with this lonely, creepy, FBI agent. I know she can probably handle herself, but still. The fact that he's in a ten foot radius of her bugs me."

"Knowing her, she'd be out of the way most of the time. Out of the house I mean. In the cemetery or just laying in the woods somewhere away from him."

"I know that, but who knows what he'll do to her. Or what she'd do to him."

"You'd love to see what she'd do to him."

"Oh yeah, defiantly. I just don't want him near her, at all."

"I got your back, Frank. I'll keep a close eye on her and make sure she stays away from him."

"You're the best Stuart," Frank smiled, "Come back when you have more details with the Bartlett case, and with Iris. Also, could you pass on a message to her?"

"Anything, Frank," Stuart smiled.

"Tell her I'm sorry and I love her very much. We're working things out down here and Lucy should be helping me out of here soon. Give Dammers hell and that's about it."

"Got it," Stuart said.

"Get outta here before someone comes in and checks."

"See ya, Frank," Stuart said before walking through the cell walls.

Frank was alone, but he knew he'd be getting out of that cell shortly with the help of one Ms. Lucy Lynskey.

Across the town, Dammers had shown Iris into a small ranch style house. It was probably a rental from the government for his 'job', which he was doing a very poor job with. He had shown her to a small room on the far left side of the house. The room was small but it'd do for a few days until she was back home with Frank.

Surprised with herself, she thanked Dammers as he walked out of the room. She threw her backpack down on the bed and emptied it out. She didn't want to go back to school the next day, so she'd head up to her house and pick up some things before heading back to the new hell-hole she was living in.

_Now,_ Iris thought,_ what would _really_ get on Dammers nerves? Something that would get on Dad's nerves…,_ Iris snapped her fingers.

"I'll dye my hair!" she said to herself happily.

She picked up her empty backpack and ran out of the small house and toward her home. The trudge up the hill was long, but worth it when she got up to the house. Key under the mat was still there and she let herself in. The house was just as they left it a few days ago. It was quiet as she ran up the stairs to her room.

She smiled when the sent of mangos drifted into her nose. Her room always smelled like mangos for some reason. Iris didn't give two shits about it either. She tossed her empty backpack on the bed and opened her closet. Frank had designed her a wonderful walk in closet. The perks of an architect in the family.

She grabbed a few black and white baseball tees. One was long sleeved, one was long sleeved with a hood and another one was a crop top, long sleeved with a hood. Iris always had to make certain things personalized like that. After tossing those into her backpack, she pulled out a few pairs of pants. One red pair, a blue pair and a grey pair. She found herself into her closet more and staring at some flannels. She pulled down a grey one and threw that in the bag. Soon two tee shirts found their way into the pack and she was set.

Iris was just about to leave the room when something caught her eye, a picture frame on her nightstand. She walked over and picked up the silver frame. She smiled sadly at the picture. Her and her parents in front of the newly finished house. Frank, his wife Debra and little Iris, no more than ten when the house was complete. Soon after it was done, Debra died.

She whipped a tear from her cheek and put the frame in her backpack. She couldn't leave without it. Finally set for the few days without being home, she left and locked up the house.

Iris found herself walking into CVS once back in the small town. She was looking at the hair dye when Stuart and Cyrus found her.

"Iris, we have great news!" Stuart exclaimed.

"We found Bartlett's ashes in the Bradley house!" Cyrus said, "All we gotta do is steal them and get them to consecrated grounds and what the hell are you doing?"

To avoid stares and glances, she took out her cell phone to make it look like she was talking on the phone than to no one. The spirits new the routine quiet well and just kept the conversation going like nothing happened.

"That's great to hear guys," she smiled to them and ignored the last part of Cyrus's comment.

"Iris, what are you looking at? Hair dye? Why?" Stuart asked.

"I wanna freak Dammers out. That's all. Please don't tell my dad, please!"

"Secret's safe with us," Stuart said.

"Yeah," Cyrus laughed, "till Frank finds out. Then you're dead."

"Shut up guys," Iris said.

She finally found two hair dye colors. She looked over to the guys and switched ears for her phone.

"Which color? Dark red or dark ginger?"

"Red," they said in unison.

"Great!" she exclaimed putting the dark ginger one back.

"Frank is still going to kill you when he sees you dyed your hair," Cyrus said.

"Well, Cy, that's the least of our problems now, isn't it?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Iris had a towel around her newly dark red hair. She was content with how it came out. She took her time and did it properly. She was about to hop into bed when Dammers decided to poke his nose in the room.

"What?" she snapped.

"Where were you between 10:54 and 11:13?"

"Bathroom. I just got out. Why?"

"Lies! You tell lies! I would've heard you in there."

"What the hell is going on?" she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I was just informed that Frank has escaped from his cell," Dammers got to close for comfort near Iris, "and you were the one who broke him out."

"Crazy man, I was in the bathroom dying my hair. I didn't leave."

"Stay here while I go down to the station," Dammers turned and walked out of the room swiftly.

Once she heard the door shut and the car pull out of the drive way, she smiled evilly. She braided her wet hair and got changed. Blue pants, baseball tee with the hood and her converse. Just as she was about to leave, Cyrus decided to pay her a visit, frantically.

"Iris!"

"Cy? What's going on?"

"Stuart's dead… for real."

"What?"

"Bartlett got him."

"Son of a bitch… What about my dad?"

"Lucy busted him out. I held off Bartlett while they got out. I think she said something about taking him to her lab, I don't know, I was busy at the time!"

"Are they ok?"

"They're fine. Frank said to go to the cemetery around midnight; he had a plan and wanted to fill it in to you. He misses you like crazy, girl."

"I miss him too, Dammers is such an asshole."

"He knows. Don't let him know I told you this, but Dammers actually tried to shoot him before."

"God I'm gonna kill Dammers…"

"Just go to the cemetery and see what Frank has for a plan. In the mean time, be careful."

"Cy, don't get yourself killed too," Iris said.

"Same to you," Cyrus said before stepping through the walls.

Iris was now alone in the room. She sighed and got out through the window. It was the only logical way out of the house at the time. Knowing Dammers he'd have security cameras, lasers to trigger movement and probably booby traps. Now out of the house, she took off to the cemetery.

Iris ran into the cemetery. It was late; and she wondered if Dammers even cared that she was out so late. She was all prepared for some smartass comment about her hair, but nothing. He was probably more worried about finding Frank than her. He didn't care about her and she knew that. Did she care, hell no. all Dammers wanted her for was to keep an eye on her and so Frank couldn't get near her.

The spirits were out and about that night. Small bursts of lightning filled the sky that night. She checked her watch, quarter after one in the morning. She was waiting for Frank. Cyrus had told her to meet him in the cemetery that night. Cyrus had said that Frank had a plan to get her back and needed to run it by her.

Iris looked up into the Maine night sky. Some clouds and some stars. Thunder was in a low rumble in the mountain range close by Fairwater. In amongst all the sounds of the weather, a car sped into the cemetery. Frightened, Iris jumped behind a tombstone and watched a cop car speed into the cemetery.

_What the hell are the cops doing here this late?_ She thought. Iris was stealthy moving from one tombstone to another without being seen. Soon she was in close to the cop car and saw Lucy and Dammers.

"No…" she said to herself in a low tone, "Something's wrong…"

Dammers got out of the car, shut off and locked up with Lucy in it. She saw him haphazardly open up his shirt. _What a nutbar…_ she thought. Something blue caught her eye. She turned around and saw a spirit heading toward the cop car. She ducked down again behind the tombstone. Soon she heard the door to the cop car close and she looked out again.

Tears filled her eyes. The blue figure was Frank.

"Daddy…" she said in a whisper.

She heard the car start up and moved back a few tombstones. Frank behind the wheel meant crazy driving. The cop car backed up and ended up hitting a mausoleum.

"Only you, dad… only you," she whispered.

Lucy had busted out of the cop car with a handcuff around her wrist. Dammers handcuffed her to the car? Asshole! Iris snuck behind tombstones and met up with Lucy.

"Lucy? What's going on?" Iris asked.

"Iris? What are you doing here?"

"That's not important. What's going on? Why were you handcuffed? Why is my daddy-"

"Sweetie," she soothed. Lucy always called her that, trying to be a mother-like figure to Iris, "Everything is, or was, under control. I have to get back to my lab, soon. I have to revive your dad."

"What happened?"

"He's looking for Bartlett. Dammers found us in my lab and kidnapped me and left Frank in the cryogenics freezer. I have to get back in ten minutes or else."

"Don't worry, Lucy, I'll distract Dammers. You just get the car and get outta here!"

"Iris, one last thing."

"What?"

"What did you do to your hair?"

"Long story. Now get going, please."

Lucy nodded and got into the cop car. Dammers turned around and saw Lucy getting into the car.

"Where do you think _you're _going?" he shouted to Lucy.

He ran over to the cop car, only to be tripped by Iris. She jumped out from hiding and kicked Dammers in the stomach.

"Get away from her!" Iris yelled.

"What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay put." Dammers demanded.

"Screw you! I'm not a dog!" she kicked him again, but lower toward the unhappy zone for men. She looked at Lucy, "Go!"

Lucy drove off quickly out of the cemetery. Iris kicked Dammers one more time before running out into the cemetery. She saw the hooded figure known as Johnny Bartlett. It was closing in on her fast. Iris turned and ran. Bartlett was fast and she was just a little too slow. Iris had a problem with tripping, and she fell over a broken tombstone.

"Shit!" she yelled.

She flipped over on the ground and stared into the hollow face of Bartlett. She was doomed… Iris showed no fear toward Bartlett.

"Hey! Bartlett! Stay away from my daughter!"

Iris turned over and saw Frank, with two machine guns in hand. Sergeant Hiles was going to be pissed to find out Frank took his toys. Iris didn't have to worry about ducking, the bullets wouldn't hurt her. Frank let open fire to Bartlett and soon, he backed off of Iris and disappeared.

Iris, shakingly, got up from the ground and brushed off her pants. She looked to Frank. This was not how she wanted to see him again. First in a cell and now…

"Daddy?"

"Iris, honey, everything's going to be alright," Frank reassured.

"Dad, what the hell's going on?"

"Lucy has everything under control."

"Are you sure? Everything's going to be fine? What the hell, dad?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," he crossed his arms, "What the hell did you do to your hair?"

Iris fidgeted with her braid, "Uh, nothing? It's the lighting?"

"When you're back home, you are so grounded."

She shrugged, "Figured."

"Just suck it up for a few more days. We almost have him, I promise you. All of these deaths are going to stop and you'll be back home, promise. Cyrus found where Bartlett's ashes are. All we have to do now is get them to consecrated grounds."

She nodded, looking to the ground. She wanted to run into Frank's arms and just cry, but he was a spirit and she would just run right through him. She wanted her daddy back, alive.

"Sweetheart, I have to go. I promise you everything is going to be back to normal soon," he reassured her calmly, "I love you very much, Iris. But you're still grounded when you get home."

A single tear fell from her eye and she nodded, "I love you too, daddy."

"Be careful," he said before vanishing quickly.

Now alone in the cemetery, she broke down and fell to her knees, crying. She wanted to go home to Frank and not to some dumbass FBI agent who needs to relax or go to a cave and hide for the rest of his life. She wanted to never to go to school again and just work with her dad. Rain began to fall and Iris still cried, getting soaked. She didn't care anymore. She just wanted to go home to Frank.

Back in Lucy's lab, Frank was just getting warmed back up to normal body temperature. He was shivering as he held Lucy close to him for warmth. She had no problem with it one bit.

"Is Iris ok?" she asked.

"Y-y-yeah. Sh-sh-she's ok. G-g-grounded when she g-g-gets home, b-b-but ok."

"Don't worry, Frank. We'll get Bartlett and this whole ordeal will be over and you'll have Iris back."

"I'll g-g-get her b-b-back if it's the l-l-last thing I d-d-do."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Iris was skipping school yet again. What was the point? Get tormented and leave or skip the torment and leave? Leave. It was a colder day in March. March had its warm and cold days in Fairwater. Iris pulled up the hood on her baseball tee and kept walking down the sidewalk, hoping to find something to keep her entertained for the day.

A car drove by and slowed down as she walked. She looked to the car and saw Lucy. She smiled and Lucy stopped the car so Iris could get in. The heat was on which made Iris smile.

"Hi, sweetie, how you doing?" Lucy asked with a smile.

"Good and you?"

"Great! We just had a major breakthrough!"

"What happened?" Iris asked hopefully.

Lucy continued down the street. She turned down the heat just a smidge but it was still toasty warm inside.

"You heard about Stuart, right?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "Such a shame. Stuart was a great guy."

"Yeah, he was. Never said much to him, but he was nice."

"One of my only friends ya know," Iris said with a laugh, "Anyway, what's going on?"

"Well, Cyrus said that he found the ashes in Patricia's house, which is great! We're hoping to do something about it tonight. I was actually just on my way over there. Wanna help me out?"

"Sure, Luce!" Iris said happily.

"Skipping school yet again?"

"I always do that on Thursdays," she smiled.

Lucy laughed a little, "Oh, Iris. So I'm going to need you to fake a sprained ankle, can you do that for me?"

"Totally. I took drama last year."

"Why'd you stop?"

"No one wanted to be paired up with me, so I went to business and architect and its more fun. But I can pull off acting."

"Great," she smiled.

"How's my dad?"

"He's been over at my place all night. He feels terrible from last night. He didn't want you to see him there. I don't know what Stuart or Cyrus told you, but it wasn't part of the plan. It was either cryogenics freezing or… well, lets not go into detail."

"Lucy, what was the other way?"  
"Well, lemme back up from what happened last night before the cemetery."

"I was wondering how you busted him out anyway."

"Well what happened was, I went to visit him and pass on the word of what was going on with you and Dammers and with what the information we got from Cyrus. We were in the cell and Bartlett showed up. He was trying to kill me."

"Oh my god!" Iris exclaimed.

"But that's when Cyrus and Stuart sprung into action and did their best to hold him off while Frank and I tried to get out. It was a lot of fighting for a few minutes before things went quiet. Stuart came up to us and said "I think we got him" and that's when Bartlett finished him off. It was quite sad.

"So when the deputy came in to let me out, Frank kicked the door open and knocked him out, giving us time to get out. To be honest with you, that police station is bigger than I thought. It took us a few minutes to finally get out of there. We ran through the garages and down a bunch of corridors.

"Oh! I left out some parts on where Dammers came into play."

"Oh god…"

"This is good though. So we were running out of the cells area and down a hallway where Dammers so happened to be walking. He freaked out and pulled out a hand pistol and aimed it at Frank. I ran behind Dammers and said that he went crazy. When he was stuttering to fire the gun, I took a fire extinguisher and hosed him with it."

"Way to go, Lucy!" Iris cheered happily, "Then what happened?"

"So Dammers was on the floor and Frank came around and kicked the gun out of his hand. He yelled something like, "I'm getting my daughter back" and we ran off. I mentioned the part with the whole lot of running. So then we finally got outside of the police station.

"Frank was just about had it with Bartlett. Not thinking too clearly, Frank decided to have an outer body experience to find him and finish him off. He had checked the pistol for bullets and put the gun to his head."

"Holy crap…" she watched her language in front of one of her dad's friends.

"Don't worry, I stopped him. That's when I took him to my lab and suggested cryogenics freezing. I gave him a shot that would lower his body temperature and slow his heart rate. Then I would revive him in twenty minutes. I had just begun to get some of the materials ready before that creep showed up."

"Dammers is one creepy-ass man. I think he watched me sleep last night," iris said.

"That's creepy. Dammers decided to leave Frank in the freezer and kidnap me and take me to the cemetery. That's where you saved me from Dammers and Frank almost hit him with the cop car."

"Almost?"

"You know his driving. He thought reverse was drive and he went backwards."

Iris smiled. They soon arrived at the Bradley house. They were just about to get out and put on a whole fake injury routine before Lucy got a page on her pager. She got out her rather large cell phone and called her colleague. After a short conversation she hung up and smiled to Iris.

"Well, no need for a fake injury. We actually need to be here. Can you be my assistant now?"

"Course, Luce," Iris smiled.

"You are such a good kid," Lucy smiled.

They got out of the SUV and Lucy grabbed a medical kit. Iris got a weird vibe off of the house. It was unsettling. Evil was lurking inside. Lucy began to walk up to the house unaffected by the uneasiness.

"Uh, Lucy, don't you get a weird vibe off of this place?" Iris asked.

"No, why?"

"I dunno, something's not right about this house, Lucy."

"Honey, I think you're just worried about getting the ashes outta here. There's nothing to worry about in this house, ok?"

"If you say so," she said, still really uneasy.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Lucy was patching up a deep cut on Patricia Bradley's hand. Patricia's mother was watching over her daughter like a hawk. Not just Patricia, but Iris too.

"Patricia, how did this happen again?" Lucy asked.

"I uh, dropped a plate and it broke. I went to pick it up and one of the shards went into my skin," she said.

"Dr. Lynskey, is your assistant alright?"

Iris was starting to feel lightheaded from the house. She was very sensitive to the other side than most people. She always thought that it was genetics. Frank always had a sensitive side to spirits, before he could start seeing them.

Frank walked inside his house. It was quiet and untouched. The message machine was beeping. He hit it and two messages came up.

"_Frank, I have Iris and we're at the Bradley's. Patricia is hurt and I'm just doing my job. Iris seems to have second feelings about the house. We'll gather more information and we'll get back to you, see ya," _Lucy's voice said on the message. The date said today so that was a relief to Frank.

"_Mr. Bannister!"_ no message ever was good when someone was yelling Mr. Bannister, "_My daughter Patricia Ann Bradley is communicating with the evil ones! Help me! Help me drive away the evil spirits!"_

"God damnit…" Frank sighed. He checked the date and it read it was from yesterday, "Shit…"

He grabbed his car keys again and went back out. He had to get them out of that house.

"Dr. Lynskey," Patricia's mother began, "I feel as if you're assistant is going to faint."

"Sorry, I don't like the sight of blood," Iris lied.

"Then why be a doctor's assistant?" she snapped.

"I'm interested in nursing," Iris lied once more. She was awfully good at it, "Are you going to keep bombarding me with questions or can I go back to learning?"

"Fine," her mother said.

"Mother, why don't you go upstairs?" Patricia suggested.

"Fine."

Patricia's mother left the kitchen and went up the stairs of the house. Lucy was just about done with Patricia's hand.

"Patricia, may I use you're bathroom?"

"Sure," she said, "first door on your left down the main hallway."

"Thank you," she said.

Iris walked down the hall and into the bathroom. She looked at her face in the mirror and realized it was paler than usual. She turned on the faucet and splashed some water on her face. When she met her gaze in the mirror she was surprised at the blue figure behind her.

Iris turned and saw a man standing there. He was tall and wore old style clothing. He was pacing back and forth.

"You're the Bannister girl, right?" he asked.

Iris didn't say anything.

"I've been watching you for a while. I almost killed you too, if it weren't for your father."

"You're Johnny Bartlett," Iris said finally.

"She can be taught without schooling."

"What do you want, Bartlett?"

"Her mother's dead you know. Patricia's. I just killed her."

Iris grabbed the sink to keep from falling over. She was getting lightheaded even more this close to Bartlett. He insisted on getting even closer to her.

"You know, I could kill you right here and now. But I'm going to be a nice guy and let you live, for now."

"How sweet," she said, rolling her eyes, "I don't know what Patricia will ever do without you."

"I'm killing the other woman first. The doctor."

"You wouldn't."

"I'd kill you, but I wanna wait till your father comes around. It's more fun that way," he smiled evilly. He had really big teeth.

"You're going to fry in hell, Bartlett."

Iris stood her best and walked out of the bathroom. Patricia and Lucy were no where to be found in the kitchen. It was eerie quiet in the house.

"Lucy? Patricia?" Iris called.

"She's going to kill her," Bartlett said, "You're next."

"You don't scare me, Bartlett," Iris said, grabbing onto the table to keep from falling over. Damn evil spirits, "I'm not afraid of you."

"You probably should be," he smiled evilly.

A blood curdling scream awoken the house. Iris was startled and looked at Bartlett, but he was gone. She let out a 'damn' and ran up the stairs. Patricia had a knife in her hand and was trying to stab Lucy.

Iris kicked a door to hit Patricia. Lucy locked her in and the two sat on the floor.

"What happened?"

"She freaked out! Just had a break down," Lucy said shakingly.

A gun shot was heard and the two ducked down. Patricia found a gun in the room Iris locked her into. Lucy let out a scream and started to back away from the door. Iris was soon behind her, when Bartlett decided to show up again. He took form in the carpeting and started to choke Lucy.

"Son of a bitch," Iris said, kicking the carpet. As weird as it sounded and looked, it worked.

Thunder rolled in and lightning flashed brightly outside. Total horror movie. The gunshots seemed to follow the thunder crashes. She was going to break out soon. Lucy backed away from the wall and safely between the door where the shots were and the wall.

"Lucy? Iris?"

Frank bolted up the stairs.

"Dad!"

Frank put his arms around Lucy and Iris in a hug, "Thank God you two are ok. What's going on?"

"Patricia lost it," Lucy said as another gun shot echoed through the house. Lucy buried her face in Frank's tee shirt.

He helped both girls up and hurried them into another room. He locked the door just in time as Patricia broke free from the other room.

"Cyrus is dead for real, too," Frank said.

"Great…" Iris sighed.

She looked around the room and put two and two together. They were in Patricia's room. She stood and began to wonder the room.

"Iris, get down," Frank said.

"Hold up, dad," she said.

Gun shots were now being shot into her bedroom. Lucy hung onto Frank.

"Iris," Frank said. The parent side of his brain was kicking in.

Iris found what she was looking for. In the wardrobe, she found an urn. It was hidden among clothing but she found it. She could feel the evil on the urn. She turned and showed Frank and Lucy.

"Johnny Bartlett's ashes," she said proudly.

"How'd you know they were in there?" Lucy asked as Iris handed the urn to Frank.

"I could feel the evil coming off of it."

"We have to get this to concentrated grounds," Frank said.

"There's a chapel! At the old hospital!" Lucy said.

Frank helped Lucy up and they went to the window. They were going to slide down the rain gutter out of the house. Easy enough. Patricia had looked through one of the many bullet holes through the door and screamed, hoping to unlock the door in time, but failed. The trio was already out of the house with the urn.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

The run to the old hospital was short. Iris found a way in through one of the busted windows. The hospital was unused since the shootings how many odd years ago. It was sitting in the middle of no where for years, rotting away to nothing.

Once in the abandoned hospital, they spilt up among the large hospital room. They were looking for a sign for a chapel.

"Lucy, do you know where the chapel is?" Frank asked.

"No idea," she said.

"Don't go too far, kiddo," Frank called to Iris.

"Gotchya," Iris said. She poked her head around a corner into a hallway.

She thought she'd see a musty old hallway, but what she did see surprised her. It was like a brand new hospital hallway. Doctors walking by, patents painfully walking around when they shouldn't be. It was scaring her more than Patricia with the shot gun.

She looked back into the large room where Frank and Lucy were still wandering around. It was old and rotting away. Once turned back to the hallway, it was like a new hospital again. _Am I nuts?_ She thought.

"Dad! I think I found something!" Iris called.

Frank jogged over to Iris and saw exactly was she was seeing. The new hospital in the old one. People actually walking around and talking.

"Dad, am I crazy or do you see this too?"

"I see this too," Frank started down the hallway. None of the doctors took notice to him.

Iris followed suit of Frank. A tall blonde man pushing a table went by her. Frank was listening to two nuns and a doctor talking. He found out where the chapel was. 4th floor, down some hallways and bam, it was there.

"_Orderly?"_ the doctor who said where the chapel was located said, "_orderly are you deaf? Hey! Moron?"_

The blonde man who walked passed Iris threw the cover off the table and picked up a shot gun. The blonde man was Johnny Bartlett!

"_I guess that makes you, number one,"_ Bartlett said before firing at the doctor.

Frank dove trying to save the man who wasn't even there. He fell right into the wall. Lucy had joined them in the hallway, helping Frank up. Once she ran in, the new hospital with the people and doctors, were replaced with the old rotted one they entered.

"Chapels on the forth floor," Frank said.

Lucy helped Frank up and they all started up the stairs. A few gun shots ran throughout the hospital. Patricia had caught up with them. Instead of walking up the stairs, they ran.

Her evil laughter was heard throughout the hospital. That was their motivation to run even faster.

"What if we were to split up?" Iris suggested.

"I don't think so," Frank said, "You are not leaving my sight at all."

"But dad-"

"No but's, you're staying in my sight right now."

She didn't feel like arguing with him right now, so she just kept quiet. Patricia was gaining faster. A gun shot was fired and hit the wall close to where they were running. Lucy let out a scream and they ran faster up the stairs to the second level.

"Frank, maybe we should split up," Lucy suggested.

"No. that's the last thing going to happen right now," Frank said.

In and amongst the bickering, Iris had disobeyed Frank and ran off down the opposite corridor on which they were running. It took Frank a few seconds to put two and two together.

"Where's Iris?"

Lucy shrugged.

"Shit," he handed Lucy the urn, "Take this up to the chapel."

Lucy put a hand on Frank's shoulder, "Where are you going to go?"

"To find her."

"Well, be careful."

"You too," Frank said before running off down the corridor where Iris ran off down.

What they all didn't know was there was another stalker in the old hospital. Dammers was lurking in the corridors of the hospital, hoping to find Iris and take her away.

Corridor after another Iris ran. Her logic was for Patricia to follow her and give the others time to get the urn to the chapel. She should've told the others her plan before she were to run off like that.

Iris could hear the gun shots out in the distance of the hospital. She ran faster before falling as she rounded a corner. She leaned up against the wall and just sat there to catch her breath for a few seconds. The gun shots were getting closer. She cursed under her breath and jumped up and started to run again.

"She's going to get you," Bartlett said, casually popping out of no where.

"Not gonna happen, Bartlett," Iris panted.

She rounded a corner into a huge hospital room. Beds were lined everywhere. Iris turned around and saw a light coming down the hallway. There was a low laughter. Patricia. Iris jumped over a bed and grabbed a blanket. She hid under another bed and hid herself from the mad lady.

She peaked out to see if she were near, the room had changed again. It was new like it was in the hallway. She saw a young Patricia with a gun, shooing helpless people in the beds. Iris covered herself again and hoped she didn't see Iris. When she looked out again, the room was to its old rotting self.

She slightly and slowly and saw a pair of combat boots right by the bed she was hiding under. The light just barley was touching her. Patricia backed up and was just about to look under the bed when a clang was heard.

"Want the urn back? Come and find it!"

Iris knew Frank's voice anywhere. Patricia ran away from the bed to chase after Frank. Once it was safe, she climbed out from under the bed and ran down another hallway, ditching the blanket on the floor.

She had run down a few hallways before being grabbed by someone. She tried to scream but they put their hand over her mouth.

"Sweetie, calm down, it's me."

Iris stopped fighting and hugged Frank tightly. She didn't want him to let go anytime soon.

"It's ok, Iris, everything's going to be ok."

A gunshot was heard in the distance. Frank pulled her away and hurried her down a hallway.

"We'll continue that later. Now, run," Frank said.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Lucy still had the urn as she ran up to the third floor of the hospital. Frank and Iris were close on her trial on the third floor. They could all hear the distant cackle of Patricia with her shot gun of terror. Frank had continued to hurry Iris along and hope nothing pops up unexpectedly.

That was for them; on the other hand, Lucy had an unexpected delay from one Milton Dammers. Out of the blue, Dammers grabbed Lucy by the arm and put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

"Bannister, where are they?" Dammers demanded.

With no answer from Lucy he began to drag her to the stairs. Dammers was getting tired of no answers from people today.

"You are all the same," he said.

Lucy finally elbowed Dammers in the ribs. He lost his breath and let her go loosely. She then punched him in the face and took off into the third floor. Pissed, Dammers raced off after her. Lucy had brought down some rusty bed frames into the doorways to keep Dammers from catching up to her.

It didn't do much good, for he moved them quickly out of the way. Lucy had found an old elevator and quickly got in.

"No!" Dammers shouted.

Lucy slammed both of the gates closed and took a few seconds to figure out how it worked. She hit a button and the elevator began to go up. Dammers, furious, tried to climb up the rusty steel garters of the elevator, but it was too fast for him.

Iris and Frank had made it up to the fourth floor. He had told Iris to take lead for she was younger and faster than Frank. She rounded a few corners before she stopped at the sight of a statue of the Virgin Mary. She stopped.

"Dad, found it!"

Down the hallway, the elevator Lucy was in got stuck half way through the levels. She tried to will it to go up more, but it was stuck.

"Frank!" Lucy called.

"Try to get a way in there," Frank said to Iris.

Iris took one of the wooden crosses blocking the door off and began to pound the door with them, making a crack or something. After a few hits, there was a small opening. She looked inside and saw a bright blue column of light. The passageway to the other side.

Down the hall, Frank was right by Lucy, trying to open the gates on the elevator. None of them would budge one inch. Lucy passed the urn through the gates.

"Take it," she said, "Just go."

Frank took it and nodded, "Just, don't go anywhere."

"I won't," she said.

Iris had made a big enough hole in the door to throw the urn through and everything would be fine and dandy.

"Good?" Frank asked.

"Yeah," she said.

"Did you pass gym?"

"I can catch, dad," she said.

Frank threw the urn and Iris was just about to catch it, when it was unexpectedly intercepted. Dammers held the urn. Iris closed her eyes and started praying to the gods in the chapel right behind her to attack and kill that man.

"Give us the urn," Frank said, walking up to Dammers slowly.

"Let me guess, you _have_ to get these ashes to consecrated grounds in order to destroy the forces of evil," Dammers said, being the huge asshole he is.

"Get outta here, ok?" Frank whispered to Iris.

She nodded and ran out of the hallway and tried to find a safe way down to the first floor.

"Give me the god damn urn, Dammers!" Frank yelled.

"Under no circumstances are these ashes ever to be released," Dammers opened up the urn and turned it over. All the ashes flew out of the urn, "Oops," was all he had to say.

Mortified, Frank backed up a few steps, "You have no idea what you've just done."

"You just don't get it, do you Frank? Your pathologic minds say that you have a mind for both good and evil. But mostly it revolves around your need for self mortification. What would you do, Frank, to solve those problems? Blame it on your only daughter?"

Frank continued to back up until his foot hit up against something. He looked down and saw a crowbar. He picked it up and looked Dammers dead in the eyes.

"You are _such_ an asshole," he said as he brought up the crowbar to take a swing.

"Yes I am. I'm an asshole," he whipped out a gun, "with an Uzi!"

He took a few shots and hit Frank's arm. He stumbled back and dropped the crowbar. Frank was practically on the floor. Lucy had tears in her eyes from seeing Frank get shot like that.

Iris was on the steps going down to the first floor and she heard the machine gun shots.

"Please don't be my daddy," she said to herself and kept running down.

Iris missed a step and fell down onto one of the platforms. She held her wrist. She always did have bad wrists. Iris sat up and tried to move it, but only winced.

"Great, that's probably broken," she said as her wrist began to turn every shade of the rainbow but normal. She stood and kept running, cradling her broken wrist against her chest.

"Frank!" Lucy finally yelled.

"Get up!" Dammers demanded, "I said get up!"

Frank barely got to his feet. He staggered a little bit. His back was toward Dammers. A light was shining down the hallway down where Iris had run off. Patricia had found them.

"I don't want to shoot you in the back, turn around!" Dammers demanded.

With one hand on his injury, he turned around and faced Dammers, still backing up. There were a few loose and lost floor boards and Frank's foot went right through the crack.

Patricia shot at Frank, but missed and shot Dammers right in the head. He was finally dead. Frank fell down the rotted floorboards, all four levels of them. On the first floor, he fell on a hospital bed and fell off of that with a hard thud on his injured arm.

"Frank!" Lucy shrieked.

Patricia reloaded her shot gun and ran over to the elevator. Lucy ducked down to where the elevator was stuck. With two shots of the gun, the elevator was moving down to the first floor.

Iris was running down, still hugging her wrist to her chest as she saw Frank lying on the floor. She ran over to him and ended up sliding on her knees over to him.

"Daddy? I'm gonna kill Dammers."

"He's dead," Frank managed to say.

"Damn, someone beat me too it… now what?"

"Frank?" Lucy had joined with Frank and Iris, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Frank said, attempting to get up.

"Dad, you shouldn't do that," Iris said, "The urn?"

"Gone," Lucy said, "Dammers emptied out the ashes."

"Lovely," Iris sighed, "Now what?"

"Don't move and you won't be the first to die," Patricia said aiming the gun at Iris's head.

"I told you she'd be out to kill you," Bartlett said to Iris.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Iris put her hands up to show she means no harm in hurting them. Bartlett grabbed her and threw her against the wall. He kept a hand on her shoulder, keeping her off balance. Evil spirits had a tendency to do that to her. She couldn't break free from the evil spirit weakening her.

Frank stood, holding his injured shoulder. No one was going to hurt his baby girl.

"You wouldn't dare to hurt her."

"Bannister, we've been holding off killing her just to have you watch. We'd thought it'd be fun!" Bartlett exclaimed.

"Oh Johnny! What would be more fun, having Frank killed and Iris watched?" Patricia asked.

"Or neither," Lucy added, but she was ignored completely.

"Oh baby, that'd be hot," Bartlett said.

"No!" Iris exclaimed.

Patricia grabbed her broken wrist and squeezed it tightly. Iris slid down the wall in pain. She was trying her hardest not to cry out or cry for that matter. Life of Iris Bannister sucked, period. She was in too much pain to even try to kick Patricia, but the thought did cross her mind. All acts of violence crossed her mind.

Patricia laughed and backed off Iris, she aimed the gun at Frank. Damn. Finally straight with her thoughts, Iris kicked Patricia and she fell down. Patricia dropped the shot gun and it slid over to Lucy. She picked it up and shakingly pointed it at Patricia.

"I'm going to _kill_ you for that!" Patricia seethed to Iris.

"Who has the gun though?" Iris asked, arching an eyebrow.

Bartlett floated over to Lucy and grabbed it from her no problem. He tossed it back to Patricia who smirked evilly at Iris. Iris muttered 'damn' under her breath. She aimed the gun at Frank now. Bartlett held Iris by the shoulders to keep from running anywhere.

Patricia pulled the trigger and Iris shut her eyes tightly closed. The shot gun only made a clicking noise. Iris opened her eyes again and saw that the gun was out of shells. She gave a breath of relief, but only for a few seconds. Patricia was determine to kill Frank in front of his daughter.

Patricia decided to use the gun for other methods of pain. She hit him in the head with the gun butt.

"Daddy!" Iris yelled.

"Oh yeah, baby!" Bartlett said, almost like he was getting turned on from his girlfriend causing other people pain.

Patricia had moved on and put the gun around Frank's throat. She was trying to choke him. Frank was putting up a fight though. He backed her up into a wall. That didn't do much to help him. Patricia was in more of an advantage now. Awkwardly behind Iris, Bartlett was still getting aroused by his girlfriend's techniques of killing.

Iris had fallen to her knees the moment Frank stopped putting up a fight. Dead. He was dead. Patricia removed the gun from around his neck and pushed the body to the floor. Iris's vision blurred with tears.

"You bitch!" Iris screamed to Patricia, "You're a bitch!"

"Johnny, shut her up," she said.

Johnny wrapped his arms around her body and she was weakened again. He had both hands on her shoulders. Patricia had picked up a huge pick axe from the operating room they were in.

"I'm in the mood for a little vivisection," she said.

"No!" Iris screamed.

Patricia was just about to use that pick axe on Frank when something unplanned happened.

"You bitch!"

Iris looked up and saw her dad again, but as a spirit. He was holding Patricia around her waist, dragging her soul out of her body. She was trying to resist but couldn't. Soon, Frank had hold of Patricia whom was now a spirit. The passageway to the other side opened up and Patricia and Frank were being lifted up into it.

"Got your girlfriend, Johnny!" Frank yelled.

"Johnny!" Patricia yelled.

"No! Let go of her, God damn you!" Johnny yelled.

Johnny let go of Iris and he sprung into the passageway to get his girlfriend back. Iris got her energy back and jumped up and ran over to the passageway to see the three spirits duking it out in the air.

Patricia was trying to get away from Frank and into Johnny's arms. Frank wasn't going without a fight. Johnny was gaining fast and Frank was loosing his grip on Patricia. Soon, Frank lost his grip completely and Patricia floated into Johnny's arms.

"What now, Bannister?" Johnny asked, "We're heading back down to get us a higher score!"

Frank landed safely on a cloud and looked down into the tunnel they were still floating in. he went go to investigate closer when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Hey, Frank."

He turned and saw Stuart and Cyrus walking towards him.

"How's it going?" Cyrus asked.

All three of them were looking into the tunnel as it turned a dark red color. Frank went to look in closer when Stuart stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said, "Stay back."

He did as his friend said and watched as little worm like creatures 'ate' Patricia and Johnny. The passageway turned into a worm itself and fell into a pit of lava.

"Ah the express bus to Hell. No lines, no waiting," Cyrus said.

Frank turned around and looked into what was heaven. Everything a person could want was there.

"Something isn't it?" Stuart said joining Frank once more, "Great libraries."

"Premium cigars," Cyrus added.

"And of course, the honeys."

Cyrus laughed, "Stu's a regular chick magnet up here."

Down on earth, Lucy had rested Frank's head in her lap. Iris was lying on his chest, minding her own wrist. She couldn't believe she just saw someone kill her father and then him kill someone else and have a duel in the passageway to the other side. She sniffled again and hung onto him tighter.

"He can't be gone," she said.

"We can only pray for a miracle, sweetie," Lucy said.

She sniffled again, "that bitch…"

Lucy rubbed her back soothingly. She had nothing to say to her that would make the situation any better at the time. Iris hung onto Frank's lifeless body for dear life. _He's not dead, something amazing is about to happen soon. I can feel it…_ she thought.

Back up in heaven, Cyrus and Stuart were still talking to Frank. They were telling him about heaven until a voice caught his attention. He turned and was speechless to what he saw.

A ginger woman was standing there. Her eyes were green and she was lovely. Her smile brightened up the mood. Frank tried to find his voice.

"Debra?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

"Hello, Frank," Debra said.

Cyrus and Stuart had soon become awkward and backed off, but was still in visual of Frank and his wife. Frank hadn't seen Debra in five years, since that car accident and Bartlett killing her. Five painful years of being a single parent. Loosing his wife. Suddenly, there she was, starring right back at him in the face.

"Debra?" he asked again.

She nodded, "Yes, Frank. You know this isn't your time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Authorities informed me that it's not you time. You're number isn't up, Frank. You still have a life to live. A life with our lovely daughter. She needs you, Frank."

"I have no idea what I'm doing, raising her alone."

"No parent does. You're doing a fine job," she smiled, "She's turning out to be a lovely young woman, thanks to you, Frank. You don't need me to help you. You're doing great."

"It wouldn't hurt having a little bit of help sometimes," he admitted.

"I know, and I'm sorry I can't be there. But I'm always watching over you two. I'm there, you just can't see me."

"I really missed you, ya know?"

"I miss you too, Frank," Debra gave Frank a hug, "But I want you to be happy, back home with our daughter."

Cyrus and Stuart came back around and put their hands on Frank's shoulders.

"I love you, Frank. Be happy," she smiled.

"Tell Iris we said hey," Cyrus said before he and Stuart pushed him back into the passageway.

Down on earth, Iris wasn't going to give up hope that somehow, Frank would be ok. It was going to take a miracle to pull it off. Lucy was doing her best to comfort Iris, but it was hard. She didn't know what to say to the girl. What could you say to a girl whose life sucks and just lost her only family remaining? Exactly.

She was still cuddled up to Frank's chest when his outer body experience was over. Iris heard a heart beat and lifted her head. Lucy looked down and saw Frank's eyes open again. She smiled.

"Frank!" she exclaimed happily.

"Daddy!" Iris proclaimed, hugging him gently.

Frank, stiffly, put his arm around his daughter. Iris cuddled up to his chest and he rubbed her back soothingly. Everything was going to be ok. Lucy smiled to Frank and gave him a halfass hug as well.

The hospital was now silent. Not uncomfortably silent, but a soothing silence that meant that everything was calm in the world. No more crazy killers out for a high score. No more batshit insane FBI agents with grudges. No more worries.

OoOoOoO

"What was it like up there?" Lucy asked.

She had just got done wrapping up Frank's injured shoulder and fitted it into a sling. Good thing he was friends with a doctor at that point and time. All three of them were in Lucy's lab where she was patching up the Bannister's. Iris got out with only a sprained wrist, rather than broken. Frank's shoulder was going to take time to heal properly though.

"Very white," Frank said with a smile.

"Funny," Lucy joked around, "But really, what was it like."

Frank glanced over to Iris, who was half asleep on the floor, leaning up against the doorframe. She was tiredly playing with the wrist splint Lucy put on her sprained wrist. He looked back over to Lucy and let out a small sigh.

"To be completely honest with you, I saw my wife," he said in a low tone, looking over to Iris again.

"Oh my-" she said, unknown of what to say, "What happened?"

"Nothing much. She was just there to tell me that it wasn't my time and to take care of Iris, and that she's always watching over us."

"Are you going to tell, Iris?" Lucy asked, glancing over to her as well.

"I haven't decided yet. I want to, then again, I don't. It killed her knowing that Bartlett killed Debra."

"Bartlett killed her?"

Frank nodded, "I just can't tell her right away, but I also can't wait five years."

"How bout a few days? She's still half scared to death from tonight. Wait it out a little bit."

"Good call," Frank said, "I'm gonna call the school tomorrow morning and pull her out. She doesn't need it anymore."

"Doesn't need what anymore?"

"She doesn't need all the shit the kids say. Magda's daughter is a bitch to Iris. She's the one always putting her down, calling her extremely hurtful things and no ones doing a damn thing to stop it."

"Children are so cruel nowadays. Thankfully, Iris isn't like that. She's a great kid, honestly Frank."

"I wish I knew what I was doing though," he said with a small laugh.

"You're doing fine," Lucy said putting a hand on his chest and smiled to him, "I'll drive you guys home."

"Have I ever told you you're the best?"

She laughed and helped him off the table he was sitting on. Lucy began to lock up the lab and Frank walked over to Iris and knelt down. Frank put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm awake," she said, very tiredly, not even opening her eyes from her 'nap'.

"You're last day of school's tomorrow," he said, helping Iris off the floor.

Iris clung onto his side and wasn't about to let go anytime soon. Frank kissed her head and she yawned again.

"Why? It's only March?" she yawned.

"Home schooling now, kiddo," he said.

"Goodie," she said.

Lucy had shut off the last light and met back up with Frank and Iris by the door. She smiled at Iris, falling asleep hanging off Frank. She gestured to the door and let Frank and Iris walk out first so she could lock up. Once the doors were locked up tight, she began to walk out to the parking lot as Frank and Iris followed suit.

All three of them were silent to the walk down to Lucy's SUV. There wasn't much to say between them. Once Iris practically fell into the back seat of the SUV, she was out like a light. Frank looked back at her sleeping, her elbow resting on the window and her head in her hand.

"She's out already?" Lucy whispered.

Frank turned his attention back to Lucy, "Not surprised. When we get home, I bet she's not even going to sleep in her room."

"What?"

"She'll be too tired to go up the stairs, so she's more than likely going to sleep on the couch."

"You allow this?"

"Course. I don't blame her half the time."

"Promise me one thing, Frank," Lucy said.

"Sure, anything."

"Tell her what actually happened tonight. Not right away, but in a few days, please?"

"I will," he said with a small smile.

There was a silence in the car as Lucy droved over to the Bannister's. Nothing was needed to be said about anything. Even if anything was said, it would just go back into that silence. It was late and people had to be up early the next morning. Fairwater was calm and dark. The town was asleep like the people living in it.

Lucy drove up the hill to the Bannister's and stopped just outside the front door. She shut off the car just in case Frank needed help with getting Iris up. He turned to her and smiled.

"You are the best, have I told you that?"

She smiled, "Maybe once or twice."

"Things are sure gonna be different around here now."

"Good different?"

"God, I hope so," he smirked.

She smiled to him, "Can you get her awake enough to get her inside?"

"Again, God I hope so."

He smiled and got out of the SUV and walked around to the driver's side back door. He opened the door and Iris jolted awake.

"I'm up!" she exclaimed, and then soon yawned.

She practically fell out of the car and found herself hugging onto Frank once more. Lucy had rolled down the window of her car and smiled to Frank.

"Call if there's any problems," she said.

"I will. Night, Luce," he smiled.

"Night Frank, Iris," she smiled.

Iris yawned and gave her a small wave. Lucy smiled and pulled back down the driveway. Frank drug Iris up the rest of the way to the house. She was falling asleep again. He opened the door and Iris went straight to the living room and flopped down on the couch. Once her head hit the cushions of the couch, she was asleep.

Frank turned on the kitchen light and looked into the dark living room. He walked in and saw Iris passed out on the couch, just like he predicted. He pulled off the blanket off the back of the couch and threw it over her. She snuggled under the blanket. He knelt down and kissed her head.

"You're never leaving me like that again," he said quietly, "You're my little girl."

**(A/N: I apologize for the delay on this chapter. Ive been busy with other stories but now I passed where I wanted to be at and now I can finish off the story in about two or three chapters! Be patient please, I'm doing my best here. Remember, R and R!) **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Iris was cleaning out her locker and shoving everything into her backpack. It was difficult for her with her sprained wrist. She had survived half the day and was soon about to deal with the people she hated most in her upcoming classes. She was trying to shove a stack of notebooks and papers into her backpack when her hand on her notebooks slipped and they were all over the floor. Laughter was heard throughout the hallway. She sighed and went down on her knees to clean up the mess.

As she reached for a notebook, she found a foot on top of it. She looked up and saw Allison standing on it. She sighed and yanked it out from under her foot.

"What the hell are you doing, Bannister?" she laughed, "Are you finally going to go kill yourself?"

"Shut up, Jones," she snapped, jamming the notebook into her backpack.

"I knew it! I knew you were going to kill yourself by the end of 11th grade! Can I give you a few words of advice?"

"Go for it, bitch," Iris said unamused. She was going to report whatever she said to the principal before the end of the day.

"Get an Uzi, stick it in your mouth and pull the trigger! See, that simple. Do the world a favor, and just die. No one likes you, Bannister. Your dad's a freak and so are you. It must run in the family," she laughed.

Iris had finally gotten to boiling point. She stood and eyed up Allison. Allison was taller than Iris by a few inches, but that was only because she was wearing heals.

"All my life I've dealt with your shit. Now, I'm sick and tired of it. Let me give _you_ some advice, go fuck yourself."

"You can talk to me like that, weirdo. I'm the most popular girl in school."

"I could give a rat's ass about that. You're not the most popular; you're the biggest bitch in school. No one likes _you_. You think you have all of these 'friends' when the truth is that they all are afraid of you. But not me. I'm not afraid of you."

"You think you're tough shit don't you?"

"I'm realistic. The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Iris said. She wanted to have this conversation a long time ago.

Allison, fed up, gave her a shove into her locker. With her good hand, Iris clenched her fist and punched Allison right in the nose. She fell on the floor and the hallway went dead silent. One person began to clap. Then another, and soon the entire hallway was clapping and cheering for Iris.

"You fucking bitch!" Allison yelled at Iris, "You broke my fucking nose!"

"Well, at least that will heal. What you did to me, that'll never heal. Fuck you, bitch," Iris said as calmly as possible.

She took one last look into her empty locker and shut the door. After zipping up her backpack, she tossed it over her shoulder. She began to walk down the hallway where everyone was still cheering. They were patting her on the back and saying things like "I'm sorry I was a dick to you", "nice job standing up to her like that", "you're wicked awesome".

"You'll pay for this, Bannister!" Allison yelled at her down the hallway.

Iris walked down the hallway right into the principal's office. She was going to be there sooner or later anyway. She waited for a few minutes before being allowed to go in. David Cooper's brother Ray was the new principal. She knew him like she knew David.

"Hey, Ray," she smiled, "How's the family?"  
"Good, good," he smiled, "What brings ya here now? I didn't think you'll be in here till last period."

"Got into a bit of trouble in the hallway just now."

"With who?"

"Allison Rees-Jones."

"What did she do or say to you?"

"She told me to 'do the world a favor and just die'," Iris quoted.

"She said that to your face?"

"Don't sound surprised, Ray, she's said all kinds of stuff to my face. This was the worst though. She said I should put an Uzi in my mouth and pull the trigger. Then she went on calling me and my dad freaks."

"I will not tolerate this here," Ray said.

Just as he was about to call over the intercom for Allison to report to the principals office, she already stormed in with a paper towel over her nose. She was steaming pissed off. She looked to Iris in the chair.

She pointed angrily to her, "Her! She broke my nose! Do something about it Mr. Cooper!"

"Have a seat, Allison," he said sternly.

She sat down in the other chair, but moved it away from Iris.

"Miss Bannister seems to have had a little quarrel with you earlier."

"You bet your ass she did! She told me to go eff myself!" she exclaimed.

"You're not getting out of this one, Allison. She says that you told her to go kill herself."

"I would _never_ tell anyone to do that," she lied.

Iris threw her phone on Ray's desk. He picked it up and looked at it, confused.

"Press play," Iris grinned.

He did as she said and a recording began to play.

"_"Get an Uzi, stick it in your mouth and pull the trigger! See, that simple. Do the world a favor, and just die. No one likes you, Bannister. Your dad's a freak and so are you. It must run in the family," she laughed"_

"You little bitch!" Allison yelled at Iris.

"It gets better."

_ ""All my life I've dealt with your shit. Now, I'm sick and tired of it. Let me give you some advice, go fuck yourself."_

_ "You can talk to me like that, weirdo. I'm the most popular girl in school."_

_ "I could give a rat's ass about that. You're not the most popular; you're the biggest bitch in school. No one likes you. You think you have all of these 'friends' when the truth is that they all are afraid of you. But not me. I'm not afraid of you."_

_ "You think you're tough shit don't you?"_

_ "I'm realistic. The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Iris said."_

Ray gave Allison a stern and hard look, "Miss Jones. I'm going to have to get your mother on the phone at once. You're expelled from Broken Arrow High School. Do you know that police charges might have to be filed too? You're in for a world of trouble, Jones," Ray said to Allison. He then turned to Iris, "Since you'll be leaving us I can't give you detention for swearing, but I will probably have to call your father."

Iris shrugged, "Ya gotta do what ya gotta do."

"Wait here you two while I get your parents on the phone," Ray said, standing form the desk and leaving the two girls in the room alone.

Allison turned to Iris, fire burning in her eyes, "You little bitch! I cannot believe you recorded that! My mother is going to be furious at you!"

"At me? You're the dumbass that got expelled. I'm being home schooled now thanks to all the trouble you've caused me over the years. I'm tired of your crap. I was just doing what was right."

"What you were doing was wrong! You're just jealous of me!"

"Far from. I love who I am. I love my dad very much. As for you, you're going to be nowhere in life. You'll be working some street corner because that'll be all you're good at. You're nothing to me. Thanks to you, I have no friends, no social life and also, I'm a better person because of it."

Ray walked back in and sat down at his desk and looked between the girls, "Well, both of your parents are on the way. Now answer me a few questions right now so we can get that out of the way."

Allison glared at Iris again.

"Iris, when did this start?"

"Kindergarten."

"Excuse me?"

"Allison Rees-Jones started picking on me on the first day of kindergarten. Since then, it's gotten progressively worse. She's the reason why I'm being home schooled."

"Allison, what was your reason to bully Iris?"

She shrugged, "No reason. She just gave off that vibe."

"So you told her to go kill herself because she gave off a vibe? Police charges can defiantly be given for a reason like that. Iris, why now to do something about it?"

"I just got tired of it. Day after day of dealing with it, bottling it up and such of that nature. I just got to my boiling point and decided to do what everyone wanted to do, speak the truth."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

The two girls sat and waited in the principal's office very uncomfortably. The air was tense, but it was mostly coming off of Allison. Iris had done nothing wrong, technically. All she did was swear and kinda broke a chick's nose. No big deal. She was praised in the entire school for standing up to Allison like that. She spoke the truth. Now she was going to continue that in front of her mother. Goodie!

A knock was heard on the principal's office door. _Please be Magda, please be Magda, _Iris prayed in her head, eyes closed.

"Hi, Frank," Ray said.

_Fuck_, Iris thought. That seemed to be her 'word-of-the-day'.

"Hey, Ray. Sorry to hear about David."

"Yeah," Ray sighed, "Well, at least I was mom's favorite," he said with a small laugh.

Frank smiled and sat in the chair next to Iris.

"Wow, managed to get in trouble on your last day of school, new record," Frank said to Iris.

"Thanks," she sighed.

"What is the meaning of this Mr. Cooper?"

"Magda, how nice to see you again. Please have a seat."

Magda sat next to her daughter and looked at the Bannisters.

"I knew it something with _them_. What did she do to my daughter?" Magda demanded.

"Actually, Mrs. Jones, it's what did _your _daughter do to Miss Bannister."

"What did you do?" Magda asked Allison.

"Iris, your phone please?" Ray asked holding his hand out for the phone.

She smiled and pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to the principal. Ray had played the recording once more for the parents this time. Magda didn't glare at Allison, but at Iris. Like the entire thing were _her_ fault and not her own daughters.

"Mr. Cooper, you allowed her to get punched in the face? What kind of school are you running here?"

"I would say take it up with my brother, but you were too busy writing about how it was somehow Frank's fault. No offence, Frank."

"None taken. I didn't do anything," Frank said with a shrug.

"Please," Magda scoffed, "What kind of child are you rising? Just going up to kids and punching them in the face?"

"She broke my nose, mother," Allison added.

"God forbid," Iris said, "What, do you have to get another nose job? The last few you got were really bad."

"What?" Allison exclaimed.

"Just trying to be honest with you some more," Iris said.

"Do you wanna go, bitch?"

"Bring it," Iris said, bored, "I can take you down with a sprained wrist and the other one tied behind my back. But you'd not even try because you're too busy crying over your broken nose."

"Girls!" Ray interjected, "Please retract the claws for a few minutes? Thank you. Now, from both sides of the story that I've heard, it sounds as if Allison is mostly at fault here."

"Excuse me, Mr. Cooper," Magda interjected, "But I believe that the Bannister kid is mostly at fault here."

"That 'Bannister kid' has a name, and that's Iris," Frank corrected to Magda.

"Whatever. It's all your kids fault, Mr. Bannister," Magda said crossing her arms.

"Mines? Your kids the one who told my daughter to kill herself. I see where most of that heads back to. Your head case problems and what not."

"You're the psycho killer!"

"I didn't do anything wrong! I'm innocent. You just wanna see me behind bars because you had a stupid grudge."

"Oh I have the grudge? I was just warning people from your conning schemes!"

"I wasn't conning anyone!"

"Mr. Bannister! Mrs. Jones! Please! I thought this was about Iris and Allison? Can we get back to the matter at hand? Now, Frank, there are charges that could be filed against Allison. Now the question is if you want to file said charges."

"How ever will files be charged? Allison did nothing wrong?"

"Do I need to play the tape back for you, Magda? Allison has told another student to kill herself. That could be taken as a threat which could be filed as a charge against her. By only a few sentences, Allison has put her record in jeopardy."

"But it can't all be pinned on Allison."

"No it is not. But I can't really do anything to Iris because she's not going to be attending this school anymore. Iris, would you like to say why?"

"Sure," she shrugged, "It's all because of Allison tormenting me every day. Calling me a freak, a loser, and so on. So I just did what was right and that was speak what was on my mind. Yeah I did break her nose, but that'll heal. What she did to me will stick with me forever."

"So you're blaming my daughter for everything?" Magda snapped to Iris.

"Damn right I am. I don't care what you say, Mrs. Jones, most of this is Allison's fault. I do take blame for breaking her nose, but it's mostly her fault."

"You can't pin all of this on my daughter, Miss Bannister."

"I think she can, Magda," Frank said, "It's your daughter's fault."

"Mine? Please! She gets her psychoticness from you!" Magda declared.

"I'm innocent!"

"Please," Allison said to Iris, "You're batshit crazy, that's why you don't have any friends."

"I don't have any friends because of you!" Iris yelled. That shut everyone up quickly, "You heard me. Allison is the reason why I don't have any friends. That's why I spoke up. I was sick and tired of it and she pushed me over the edge. No one had the balls to stand up to her, so I did. Ok? I know punching her wasn't my smartest move but I just got tired of dealing with her.

"Who could blame anyone for standing up for herself to a total bitch that puts her to shame every day of her life. I'm sick and tired of being put down by one person. One person ruined my entire school life. I'm tired of being put down. I stood up for myself, ok?

"I'm not sorry I broke her nose but I am sorry that I swore excessively in the past hour. I don't feel as if I should be sorry to doing something to stand up to a bully. I've kept my mouth shut far too long."

"Iris, you make a legitimate statement here. I can't do anything to really punish you for what you've done today-"

"That's completely unfair, Mr. Cooper!" Allison yelled, "She broke my nose, told me to go eff myself and she doesn't get any sort of punishment! That's complete bull!"

"Allison, please calm down. You told another student to go kill themselves. I'm sorry to say this but you are expelled from Broken Arrow High School."

"For how long? She has college to go to," Magda said.

"For the rest of the year, and she'll have to make the rest of her work up in summer school."

"Oh I don't think so!" Allison said, "Unlike her, I have a life."

"See! This is what I had to put up with for twelve years! She doesn't know what I do after school."

"You hang out alone in the cemetery. That's why you were at the cemetery a few days ago at Mr. Cahill's funeral!"

"Mr. Bannister, you were just trying to con people out of money."

"I never did that!" Frank said defensively.

"Oh please," Magda said, "You conned people out of money by saying how their house was haunted. Who does that? A psycho like you."

"Will I get in trouble for breaking her nose as well?" Frank asked Ray, "Because I'm half tempted to."

Ray said nothing, but simply smiled to Frank.


End file.
